


Save Me

by Breezling, Otava



Category: Ripper Street
Genre: Anal Fingering, Awkward fumblings, Blow Jobs, Case Fic, Crime, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dirty Talk, Domestic Fluff, Drinking to Cope, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Erotic letters, Friends to Lovers, Hand Jobs, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Coital Cuddling, Sensual Bathing, Sexual Inexperience, Sharing a Bed, Slow Build, Smoking in bed, Smut, attempted anal sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2018-10-13 14:14:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 27,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10515420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Breezling/pseuds/Breezling, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Otava/pseuds/Otava
Summary: Jackson and Reid never expected their relationship to be more than a mutual friendship. But after a night of comforting touches and eventual confessions, the two decided to take their relationship to the next level in the middle of a brand new case.





	1. Chapter 1

Edmund Reid got home after a long and tiresome day at the station. He stopped in the doorway and took a long and deep breath before entering. Ever since Susan had kicked Jackson out and the American came to live with him, Reid had started to dread the mess he would find when he returned home. Sighing, he opened the door. 

"Jackson?" he called, as he made his way through the darkened hallway. Suddenly, he winced out loud in pain. The wound on his shoulder had decided to act up due to his activities and caused a searing pain to run through his left side.

“Reid?” Jackson answered with a shout from another room. 

“Yes, Jackson,” Reid spoke as he came around the corner. “It is I.”

“Look who’s finally back,” Jackson smirked. “It’s truly late, even for you. I've already gotten back from the pub. Twice, in fact.” He met the tired-looking Reid at the door with a half empty bottle in his hand.

Reid smiled softly at the American’s concern, finding it rather ironic that their roles were somewhat reversed that night; the American waiting up for him and he himself coming home later than usual. “Well, I am glad I was able to catch you before you left to the pub for the third time.” 

“You look terrible. Here, I think you need this more than I do,” Jackson joked, offering the bottle to Reid, who surprisingly partook. Reid let his tired body fall in one of the armchairs in the sitting room and took a long drink out of the bottle that Jackson offered him, grimacing slightly at the bitter taste.

“Fortunately for you there were no poor souls waiting for your attentions on the deadroom when I left the station today,” Reid spoke. “Just a long and tiresome burglary case.” His hand stroked over his wounded shoulder. One of the thieves that he had apprehended earlier had struck him over his extensively scarred area with enough force to almost make him faint from the sudden and intense pain. Thankfully Drake got the man before he could escape, though. 

“Then tomorrow will be another easy day at work for me. I swear that you bring back the bodies for me to inspect just to spite me sometimes,” Jackson smiled inwardly. 

A few seconds of silence later, Jackson’s eyes flickered briefly towards Reid’s hand, which was still tenderly rubbing at his left shoulder. Reid’s knitted brow and the way he was favouring his left arm ever since he walked in, indicated to Jackson that he seemed to be injured. 

Silence hung over the room. 

“I had a mighty fine day today. How was yours?” Jackson commented.

“Fine.”

“You don’t look fine.” Jackson gestured his head towards Reid’s shoulder, waiting for Reid to get the hint. After Reid gave no indication of understanding, Jackson got straight to the point, “Tell me, Inspector, how’s that shoulder of yours doing?” 

Reid gave Jackson a poisonous look in response. “It is fine.”

“I’m just asking you this question as a professional physician. To be completely honest with ya, I couldn’t care less about that new injury of yours or how you got it; but if you don’t take care of a recurring wound like that, it can cause you a lot of problems down the road. Mind if I take a look at it?” 

Reid granted Jackson no immediate response and stood silent for a moment. He hated to be seen as weak or in need of care, especially by a subordinate such as Jackson. But then again, the man was also a doctor and a good one at that. Reid’s shoulder was really hurting quite a bit and he knew how insistent the American could be when he wanted something. He let out a deep sigh. A wise man knew how to choose his battles.

“Very well, I would appreciate your medical opinion in this matter, Captain,” he said as his gaze fixated on the other man. 

A self-satisfied look, which was strange blend of smugness and astonishment, crossed the Jackson’s face. “Submitting to me and my skills so soon? Without a fight?” Jackson remarked theatrically, all the while restraining a grin. Jackson moved closer and touched Reid’s clothed shoulder. The other man hissed out in pain. “In order for me to ‘properly’ examine you, I’ll be needing better access to the area in question.”

Reid rolled his eyes at the Captain’s comments. “I would be careful where you tread, Jackson, or I might change my mind… I just hope you are sober enough not to cause more damage to my already pained,” he said as he removed his jacket and opened his shirt, wincing as he uncovered his left shoulder. “What do you think?” he asked, staring up at the other man.

Bruised and battered skin covered up the entirety of the detective’s upper left side. “Good God, Reid,” Jackson stated. “This is a lot worse than I imagined.” If the captain was even slightly drunk before, he was definitely sobered up now by the sight of Reid’s injury. His fingers delicately traced over the damaged muscle and pressed down in various places trying to gauge the extent of the injury, all the while looking down towards Reid’s face for his reaction to the pressure. Reid tried to remain as stoic as ever throughout the process, but with some presses of Jackson's fingers, he betrayed his facade of indifference.

“Well, in my professional opinion; it looks like you just have a bad, bad bruise. It should heal on it’s own soon enough. I can give you something to ease the pain and to help with the colour if you need it.” Reid nodded. “Good news is that you didn’t pull the tendon or muscle. That would have been very bad. If you could try to restrict your movement and not put pressure on it for the next few days and you’ll be just fine.” Jackson softly slapped at the bruised shoulder as if to prove his point and Reid made a face. “Not that bad. See, you’ll live.”

“Well, thank you, Jackson… apparently you do indeed remember how to treat and care for a living person,” Reid said as he put his shirt back on. “I would actually be glad for some pain medication, if you have any,” he said as he gently rubbed his hand over the wound. Reid got up from his seat and straightened himself out fully. Then was when he took a more detailed look at Jackson. The man was looking even more disheveled than usual and also rather… well, he would have say, almost sad. Reid wondered how bad his latest fallout with Miss Susan was affecting the Captain and decided to repay some of his kindness Jackson had just shown him.

“There is plenty of warm water if you wish to take a bath tonight, Captain,” said Reid gently. “I will see if I can make us some dinner with what I can find in the kitchen while you take one.”

“Thanks, Reid. You sure? You can take one first if you’d like. It would be good for that shoulder of yours.”

Reid shook his head. “No. I’m quite hungry and would like to take my time with the bath when I do so.”

“I’ll go on ahead then if you don’t mind.” Jackson went to his room and gazed over the pile of shirts and trousers that he had stowed in a bag. Then he grabbed one of the cleaner-smelling garments from the heap and went over to the washroom. After filling up the tub and warming it, he stripped himself of his sweat and alcohol covered clothing and got himself into the hot bath.

The warm water soaked through his weary body and relaxed him fully. Jackson sighed closing his eyes, trying to recall how he got to the point in his life where he was now taking a bath in Edmund Reid’s tub. The whole recent falling-out he had with Catlin was something he had never expected to happen. He didn’t know how to win her back this time, or even if he _could_ win her back at all. So much had happened in the past weeks, his life was a complete mess. All he could do, presently, was accept Reid’s hospitality and sit in the bath to try to forget about his worries.

Meanwhile, Reid managed to put together some soup with the food he could find in the pantry. Rather proud of his cooking skills, he noticed the Captain had been in the bath for a very long time and dinner was almost ready. Worried that the American had passed out drunk in the bathtub, he quickly came upstairs and knocked on the washroom door. “Jackson, are you alright?” he asked, waiting for an answer.

“I’m fine.” Jackson replied too quickly, jumping up from his daze. Damn him and his thoughts. Thinking about Catlin and his present situation wasn’t going to do anything but hurt himself. “I’ll be out in a minute!” 

Swiftly, Jackson jumped out of the tub and dried himself off. He shoved clothes onto his body, patted at his dripping hair and walked out of the room with his dirty clothes in hand. 

“Wow, Reid. That was some fast cooking you did there; you hardly gave me any time to bathe myself at all.”

Reid sighed at his words. “It does not take a lot of time to make some soup, specifically if all you have in the pantry are some vegetables and a piece of lamb,” he said as he eyed the American. “I was almost afraid you had passed out or drowned in the bath,” he spoke while they made their way downstairs to have dinner.

“That’s very kind of you to worry. Now I know next time I do get drunk enough to pass out, I won’t feel so bad about actually doing it,” Jackson laughed.

He sat down at the table and looked around. “Hey, did you leave me any of that drink that I gave you earlier? I think I’m going to finish off the bottle with supper.”

Reid gave him a sideways look. “I don’t think you should have anymore gin tonight, Captain. I do, however, plan on opening a bottle of wine to have with my dinner.”

“Wine’s fine with me,” Jackson shrugged.

They entered the kitchen and Reid motioned the American to help himself to some of the soup.

“I hope it’s edible,” he remarked when he sat down with his own bowl.

“I’m sure it’s fine.” Jackson said, raising his full wine glass towards Reid and taking a sip. 

Next, he grabbed a spoonful of the broth and blew on it then popping it into his mouth. “Not half bad,” he remarked, “But don’t quit your day job.” Jackson shoveled more of the soup into his mouth. Maybe it was because he hadn't eaten much that day, but the soup truthfully tasted quite good. He didn’t know that Reid was capable of cooking so well. One day he would have to cook for him in return.

Reid laughed at his comment. The soup was quite decent to his taste as well. Soon they finished dinner and relocated to the living room with the wine bottle. Reid sat on his usual armchair by the fire with a book; again, watching Jackson carefully. “Tell me, have you done anything besides drinking and gambling today?” he asked the Captain with a raised eyebrow.

“No, just the usual,” Jackson answered. “There hasn’t been much for me to do at Leman Street as of late, so I spend most of my days drinking my sorrows away and walking around town.” 

Continuing, he said, “I’m really glad that you don’t have a body for me to examine tomorrow. If you did have a body, I’d have to wake up early to go to work with you. Instead, I’m going to do what I originally had planned, which is sleep off the hangover that I will mostly likely have in the morning then go gambling and maybe have another drink.”

“Captain…” Reid started. He could tell that Jackson was hurting as much as him.

“Oh, but do expect me to stop by the station, later in the day,” Jackson said. “I’ll give you that medication for your shoulder that you asked me from me earlier. I may be useful, yet.”

Reid gave him a saddened look. “You may come in tomorrow morning with me if you wish to do something else with your time. I’m sorry, but I can’t promise you that we will have anything as interesting as a corpse waiting for you soon; perhaps you could help poor Artheton with his gout before he drives the whole division crazy,” he said with a small chuckle. 

“But drinking is much more fun than tending to gout.”

“Suit yourself,” Reid said as he watched the American’s face carefully. “If you would be so kind to tell me on advance in which room you intend to pass out tonight if you do plan on going out once more to get that hangover, that would be spectacular. That way I might avoid stepping on you in the morning once again.” 

“Hmm, I’ll have to get back to you on that one,” Jackson mused. 

The two men continued to drink with subdued conversation here and there. Jackson finished his glass first then rose from the loveseat he was sat on. “Thanks for the meal and drink, Reid. I really do appreciate all that you have done for me. “

Reid nodded and internally sighed.

“Well, I’ll be off then.”

With that, Jackson made his way to the door, pulled on his jacket, grabbed his hat and went off into the night.

Reid watched him leave with a concerned expression. He only hoped Jackson would come home safe after yet another night of debauchery. He sat at his chair with his half-empty glass of wine and wondered why the American had bothered to return home in the first place if he just intended on leaving a few hours later. Maybe the man cared about his well being as much as he did his. Suddenly, Reid was censoring himself for caring so much about the bloody yankee who didn’t even bother to help with the dishes before dashing out. After some of the mess on the kitchen was dealt with, he took his bath and took up his book to read by the fireplace downstairs once more.


	2. Chapter 2

The London streets were colder than usual that night. Jackson walked around the city for a couple of hours to clear his head with a bottle in hand.  
He passed near Tenter street a few times but didn’t dare get close enough so that Susan or any of her girls would notice his presence. He missed her so much. Essentially, he had given up his whole life in America to be with her and she just threw him out like the scum that he truly was. Maybe it was what he actually deserved...

Things were changing fast for him. When Jackson returned back to Reid’s flat later that night, he noticed that the candle in Reid’s room was still lit. As he passed by, the flicker of light pulsated gently through the crack in his doorway while Jackson quietly attempted to tiptoe to his own bed as quietly as an inebriated man could manage.

Reid heard footsteps in the corridor as Jackson stumbled back to his room. He got up from his own bed and pulled his robe tight around his body, moving down the hall to check on the American. Entering the room he opened up his mouth,“Captain, are you alright?” he asked gently, touching the other man’s shoulder. Reid felt a sudden pang of empathy for Jackson since he too knew how hard it was to be left by someone you love, especially over circumstances one had no control over.

“‘M fine, Reid. Just leave me be.” Jackson lay down on the bed with his stale clothes still on and closed his eyes to shut Reid and the whole world out. 

“Jackson-” Reid started again. 

Jackson then turned his body facing the opposite wall. After a few moments of hesitation, Reid left. With the world spinning around him. Eventually, Jackson fell asleep.

* * *

Reid woke up early on the next morning a few hours later. After he got dressed, he went to Jackson’s room. “We need to talk,” he said, sitting at the feet of the American’s bed, a cup of hot tea in his hand. 

“Wha-, Reid; what time is it? The sun isn’t even fully out yet!” Jackson gurgled as he covered his face up with his blanket. “What in the Hell? What do we possibly need to talk about at this hour? It can wait ‘till later, alright? I’m sleeping.” 

Reid pulled the blanket down. “I am truly worried about you,” he said as he gave the American a stern look. “You have barely been eating or sleeping unless it’s because of alcohol. I almost mistook you for a beggar the other day,” he said, suddenly realizing he was being quite harsh with the other man. “I know you are upset about Susan leaving but I would really appreciate you not killing yourself with grief over it.”

“Thanks for your concern, really, but I’m fine,” Jackson put his arm over his eyes to block out the muted morning sun. He peeked through the underside to stare up at Reid, “I know that I may seem a bit off lately, but I’m going through a lot right now. Not to mention I’m living in a new place and it’s a lot for me to take in.” 

Reid arched his brow to show that he was unconvinced. 

Jackson continued, “I’m just unsure about some things right now but I know in a few weeks, I’ll be back to normal. Just need some time to adjust.” Jackson grabbed the blanket back from Reid. “I’ll be fine. But thanks for worrying about me, brother... Goodnight,” he spoke forcibly.

Reid wasn’t having it so he gently nudged him in bed but the American didn’t move so he set down his tea on the nightstand and laid down besides him. “I know that- I just wish you would take better care of yourself- or at least allow us to do so,” he said gently as he shifted his body to get slightly more comfortable besides the captain. “You deserve to be happy, Jackson,” he said in a soft whisper.

“What are you doing, Reid?” Jackson asked, rolling over.

Reid gave him a shy smile. “I thought we both might benefit from some company, Captain. However, if you wish me to leave you alone, just say so,” he said as he looked at Jackson for a long moment before looking up at the ceiling. 

“No, it’s fine. You can stay here,” Jackson replied, also turning to lay on his back.

Both of the men stayed still on the bed, not saying a word to one another. Jackson’s eyes started to droop and he began to fall asleep again. He could feel Reid’s presence and warmth right next to him; and it felt re-assuring and comfortable. 

Reid’s hand unconsciously reached out for the spot between the two men’s bodies and his fingers began to slowly caress Jackson’s. It had been over a year since the last time he had any sort of affectionate physical contact with another person and having the American besides him made his longing for human touch intensify. He almost felt tears run down his eyes.

* * *

It was completely light outside when Jackson woke up. The last thing he remembered before falling asleep was Reid’s hand entwining with his. Now, Reid was now nowhere to be seen. Had he been dreaming? Jackson _did_ have a lot to drink the previous night but the whole thing had felt so real... When Jackson sat up, he noticed that there was a indentation in his bed next to him and a cold mug of tea; Reid _must_ have actually been laying next to him.

A sharp pang of pain stuck Jackson’s head immediately when he fully stood up; a migraine. Jackson grabbed a cigarette from his jacket pocket and lit it up. 

The last 24 hours had been very strange indeed.

Reid was downstairs, drinking his morning cup of coffee and reading the newspaper when Jackson arrived. “You are up,” he remarked with a gentle smile as he presented his coffee towards Jackson. “There is some in the kitchen if you want,” he said as he watched the other man walk past him.

“Yeah,” Jackson faltered, confused to see Reid still home for some reason. “Why aren’t you at work right now?” Jackson poured himself a hot cup of coffee, not breaking eye contact with Reid, while trying to gauge the situation.

“Sunday mornings are usually slow so I decided to drink some coffee and check on you before leaving,” he said with a faint blush. In fact, he wanted to see how Jackson would react after what had happened earlier that morning.

Jackson sat down across from him. “Thanks, Reid,” Jackson said with a loving smile. “For making sure that I was okay last night, it really means a lot to me and I wanna thank you for it before I forget again.” He then glanced at Reid’s hand, remembering the comfort that it had brought him the previous night. He wished that he could have such a comfort again but he knew that it most-likely wouldn't happen anytime soon.

Reid smiled at his American, feeling heat rise up to his face again. That man had an unique effect over him. He stared deeply into the captain’s eyes for a long moment. “You don’t have to thank me. We are friends and you needed help,” he said softly, wondering if he should fix Jackson’s messy hair but deciding against it, afraid of how he might react to such close contact with the yankee. “I like to think you would do the same for me,” he whispered.

“Yeah. I’ll be there for you when you need me,” Jackson replied, grabbing Reid's hand into his while not breaking the eye contact. Without being aware of it, he started rubbing the pad of his thumb slowly against Reid’s hand. Jackson realized what he was doing almost instantly and ceased his actions and stood up from his seat, quickly. “Sorry.”

Reid’s eyes flickered down in shocked disbelief as his cheeks flushed more than they previously were. Reid stood up too and reached after Jackson, feeling his cheeks burn a deep red. “No. Please, continue,” he whispered in a very low voice, not really sure about how the American would react to that.

The truth was, he had always hidden what he had considered ‘disturbed desires’ regarding men. He had done his best to push them aside but living with Jackson made each and every one of them resurface. For a moment he could have a glimpse of hope about the other man feeling the same way.

Jackson’s eyes widened, he couldn’t believe his ears. Reid’s request was unexpected. He had half expected him to be completely repulsed by his actions. “You sure, Reid?” was all that Jackson managed to choke out through his disbelief. His mind was quickly trying to make sense of what happened. They had shared a bed. That should have been enough of a hint. Not to mention the way they both looked at and touched each other sometimes-

Reid nodded shyly.

Jackson stepped back in a delighted shock to look over the other man. He couldn’t believe his luck. “This is what you want then? I didn’t suspect that, you would- I can’t believe that you-” Jackson took a step closer.

Gauging the situation wrong and suddenly questioning himself, Reid shook his head and pulled away from Jackson. “Wait, no. Forgive me, Captain… I… I did not intend to make you an object to my perversions. It was a mistake,” he quickly spoke,“If you can forgive me, I promise it won’t happen again,” he said as shame grew inside him.

“”Perversions?’ Huh. I’ve actually, succumbed, to these ‘perversions,’ as you call it in the past, perversions with other men if that's what you mean. Not really anything wrong with that, if you ask me though,” Jackson answered cooly, although his pride was somewhat hurt. He retracted his hand and body fully from Reid and smiled sadly though he tried his best to hide it, “Good thing you caught yourself before I went ahead and ruined things, eh?”

Reid looked at his own clenched hands nervously. Had he just wasted his chance of having what he had yearned for so long? He took a deep breath. “Was it?” he asked, looking up to his American, his blue eyes shining with a twinkle of malice. “Was it good that I caught myself? I think there was some miscommunication that I did not intend. Perhaps you would like to take this matter into your own hands, Captain?”

“Should I, Reid?” Jackson spoke just above a whisper. They were staring at each other now. The room was silent and it felt like if anyone made a loud or sudden movement, the moment would be over.

Reid approached him again slowly this time with a small smile upon his lips. “I think you should, yes…according to you, you are the most experienced of us in these matters, after all,” he said.

“Holy shit,” Jackson said, also inching closer to Reid. “Are you sure? For real this time.” Reid nodded. Jackson attempted to kiss Reid but the other man backed his head away. Jackson looked up at him, confused. 

“I’m not- I’ve never been with a man, Captain,” Reid admitted.

Jackson nodded and understood. “ Fine. I won’t do anything until we are both are entirely clear and okay about what’s going to happen here. Understood? We can take this slow if you want.”

“I believe I am clear,” he whispered, gently caressing Jackson’s cheek. “I would just like to ask you not to rush things… it has been a while for me and I really want to enjoy all the stages of this,” he said as he smiled at the American.

“Okay,” Jackson said, looking into Reid’s eyes and unsure what he had just gotten himself into. “When you’re ready, I’ll be waiting.” His lips ghosted against Reid’s face but pulled back right before contact. The mood was getting too serious for Jackson’s liking. He shifted. “Now off to work with you, I imagine you’ll be late soon,” Jackson said. 

Reid nodded and moved towards the door. 

“Reid, I don’t want you or me to regret anything, so if you come home and you’ve changed your mind by then, just let me know and we don’t need speak of this matter again. I don’t want ..what ever this is, to come out of confusion or mis-judgment. Okay?”

Reid smiled at him and nodded at his words, taking the seriousness of the matter in mind for the first time. “Yes. I know… I… I will think carefully about it during the day,” he said as he caressed Jackson’s cheek again. “Thank you for being so understanding.”

As soon as Reid closed the door, Jackson ran his hands through his hair and began to think the situation through. What _had_ just happened? He had almost ‘made an attempt’ on Edmund Reid. Edmund Reid of all people; and what was even stranger was that the man wanted him too! Had they both gone mad or were they both just lonely? 

He still loved Catlin, still wanted Catlin; that was a fact. He suspected Reid still had feelings for his newly deceased wife as well. Despite that, Reid provided an unmistakable comfort to him; one that he had not encountered in a while. Maybe experimenting with this connection would help him get Catlin out of his head for awhile. Maybe that’s what Reid was looking for too; some relief. If he could provide it to him and ease his burden too, he would gladly give it.


	3. Chapter 3

Reid returned home from his work a little later than usual that day with a strong resolve to divulge his feelings to Jackson. He walked up the stairs and felt somewhat relieved when he saw a light underneath the other man’s door. “It’s me, Captain,” he said as he tapped on the door and straightened his back up, taking a deep breath as he waited for the yankee to respond to him. Edmund could not deny to himself that this whole situation he was in was making him both anxious and excited.

“Come in, Reid,” said Jackson’s voice from inside his room. Reid slowly opened the door and found the captain sitting on his bed, reading a medical textbook. Jackson patted the bed and motioned for Reid to sit down on it’s edge. “How was work today?”

Reid sat besides the American, looking down at his own hands. “Busy as usual…we even have an ice box of severed fingers for you to take a look at tomorrow,” he said with a small smile. “How about yours?” he asked, feeling his face heat up being within the proximity of his American. 

“Didn’t do much again,” Jackson replied. “I must say that, for once, I am glad to have some work waiting for me at the station tomorrow.” Jackson gave Reid a grin, wondering if he should be the one to bring up what had happened between them earlier that morning. 

Reid smiled back brighter, almost as it were a reflex. Jackson looked rather handsome tonight, he thought, looking at the way his eyes sparked in the candle light. “I missed you today,” Edmund whispered, unsure of how to approach the other man about the events of the morning.

“Missed you too,” Jackson replied, dubious about what Reid was trying to say with that comment. “How’s that bruised shoulder of yours doing?” Both men were dancing around the topic in question, unsure how to proceed. 

At that moment, Jackson really regretted promising Reid to take it slow. He wanted to say something but didn’t want to be off-putting and have Ried change his mind about the whole matter. The suspense was already killing him and it hadn’t even been a day yet. 

Jackson was a man who was used to getting instant gratification, whether it be from drugs, women, or even the occasional man; he almost always got what he wanted when he wanted it. Living freely in cathouse with an abundance of all those things for all those years hadn’t helped him at all. Reid was different however. Sure, he wanted him... but that was never an option he knew he couldn’t pursue. The floodgates of all his ignored emotions and desires opened and were nearly drowning him. It would be hard to bite them back, but Reid was worth it.

“My shoulder, it rather hurts a bit, but it has improved since yesterday,” said Reid. “I would still like that pain medication you mentioned, though,” he added as he stared at his American, wondering if the man’s interest of him had faded during the day. Well, either way he would have to accept that it was foolish to believe that Jackson, who certainly had his pick of people, would want a beaten down copper like him.

“I actually prepared you some while you were of at work,” Jackson said, reaching towards the night table next to his bed and handing Reid a small green bottle. “Sorry that I didn’t come down to the station to give it to you earlier like I said I would. I just figured that you needed some time away from me after-” Jackson cut himself off from mentioning what was best left unspoken just in time.

“Thank you,” said Reid with a deep sigh. He stared at Jackson for a long moment, wondering how he should proceed. He fidgeted with his fingers for a moment. “No worries, Captain… I have given… that issue some thought today.”

“And what conclusion have you come to?”

Reid took a moment to organize his thoughts. He then let out a deep breath,“I do believe we both might benefit from adding some...affection...to our current arrangement,” he said, wondering if Jackson understood what he meant. 

Jackson’s eyes dilated a bit. “I believe that I have reached that same conclusion.” 

He reached over in attempt to lightly kiss Reid’s lips, making his intentions clear. This time, Reid welcomed him, leaning his face to meet his.

Reid was a bit startled by the unexpected kiss at first, but the touch of Jackson’s lips over his made him relax and give in to the American’s touch. He felt his cheeks burn and had no idea what to do with his hands, finally deciding for placing them over Jackson’s shoulders. Jackson pulled Reid closer to him and the two continued to nervously kiss for awhile. It was a lot slower and careful than either man expected, but then again, the plan was to take it slow. It was Jackson who broke the kiss first, moving his head towards the side of Reid’s neck for a breath of air.

Reid smiled at him, taking in how handsome his American was. He let out a nervous laugh and gently wrapped his huge arms around the smaller man. “Thank you,” he whispered, unsure of what to say. “It has been a while since I have been kissed by someone who truly meant it,” he said shyly.

Had he truly meant it? It was only a kiss after all, kisses didn’t have to mean anything. A unsure smile twisted across the American’s face. He wished he could say the same, but a little more than a month ago, he and Susan had still been on good terms and they lovingly kissed all night long. “Glad to oblige you, Edmund,” Jackson said, trying to focus his attentions to the man in front of him. He wasn’t being fair to him, thinking about Susan at a time like this. He should be enjoying the handsome DI who was there next to him.

Reid looked down for a moment before leaning in to kiss Jackson’s cheek. “I just hope you are patient enough to guide me in these matters… I have never courted a man so I do not know what sort of etiquette this situation requires,” he said in a low whisper.

“Court?” Jackson questioned with raised eyebrows. Even he probably had less experiences with courting than Reid did. With his wife, not much ‘courting’ had been done to say the least. Of course he did know the basic rituals of traditional English courting but it wasn’t something he had ever needed to exactly follow. This was going to be a unique experience for the both of them.

“Well, yes…That would help me feel more at ease about this situation,” said Reid in a small whisper, blushing softly as he took Jackson’s hand. “I do not wish to hold you back but I think gradually increasing the intimacy in our interactions might be beneficial to this affair,” he said as he caressed Jackson’s cheek, feeling the man’s beard prickle his fingertips.

The American leaned into Reid’s touch, responding. “Okay. I can do that.” Jackson went in for one more quick kiss before a thought crossed his mind, making him chuckle. “I think that this situation is highly inappropriate for the first day of counting someone, then. I’ve gotten you into my bed on day one, Inspector. You should be more careful,” Jackson said with a teasing smile accompanied by a wink.

Reid smiled back at him, his blush deepening. “Well, since neither of us have a reputation to tarnish anymore, I don’t see why we shouldn’t move at a pace we both consider... adequate,” said Reid, kissing him back. “And, for the record, I think you make a delightful bed fellow,” he said with a wink back. 

“So I take it you’re staying here tonight, hmm?” Jackson laughed at Reid’s boldness.

Reid smirked at him, taking Jackson’s hand. “I was thinking maybe we could go to my room. It has a bigger bed and less… clutter,” he said, motioning the mess on Jackson’s room.

“Lead the way then.”

Reid kissed Jackson’s lips lightly before getting up and taking the American’s hand, guiding him back to the main bedroom. “Do you have any sleeping clothes?” asked Reid softly as he began looking for his sleeping shirt. 

“Why, yes, Reid,” Jackson sighed sarcastically. “But they are in my room. Where they should be. Do you want me to go back for them?”

Reid smirked and handed Jackson one of his own sleeping shirts. “This one is probably cleaner anyway.” He watched the American carefully. “Now turn around and change. No peeking,” he said in a stern tone.

“Fine then,” Jackson said, turning around and putting the shirt on. “Well, I got to agree with you about this being cleaner.” For one second, just out of curiosity, he tried to get a peek at Reid. Immediately, the two men locked eyes, apparently Reid was expecting him to disobey; he hadn’t even started undressing yet. “Shit,”Jackson said out loud, immediately turning back and shuddering at Reid’s cold gaze as they both continued on with their dressings. “This man already knows me too well,” he muttered to himself.

Reid gave him a small smile after changing into his sleeping clothes. Then he pulled Jackson in for another quick and chaste kiss and ran his fingers through the American’s hair as he guided the other man to bed. “This is starting to feel a lot like school,” he said under his breath.

“What’s that?” Jackson remarked. 

Reid took a deep breath. “There was an older boy when I was at school… we had… a sort of dalliance, so to say,” he said, his cheeks turning bright pink. “He took me under his wing when I first arrived and soon we were... more than friends, I guess,” he said, feeling slightly embarrassed. He had never told anyone about it. 

“Even the sanctimonious Reid himself isn’t quite as pure as he leads everyone else to think,” Jackson chuckled. “Not to say that I didn't already know that,” he added. “So how did this ‘dalliance’ come to be?”

Reid took Jackson’s hand, rubbing small circles over his palm. “We shared a dorm room and had interests in common. Soon we were spending almost all day together and we would talk about everything. I guess I was already infatuated at that point, but then one night we began talking about love poems and... he kissed me,” he said with a faint blush over his cheeks.

“Was that all?” Jackson almost laughed. “A kiss? That’s not too bad. I guess eventually I’m going to have to show you some things he failed to teach you then.”

Reid blushed even more. “Neither of us was very knowledgeable at that age...it never went beyond kissing and laying together in bed,” he said shyly as he took Jackson’s hand again, gently squeezing his fingers.

“And you never ‘experimented’ after that?” Jackson asked.

Reid shook his head. “I met Emily right after I left school and married her a couple of years later, when I became a Detective Sergeant,” he said with a small smile. “Besides, I never considered it more than “training” to properly court a woman.”

“So all that young man was to you was training? That’s very cold-hearted of you, Edmund, even by my standards. I sincerely hope you won’t be treating me the same way,” Jackson remarked. 

Reid laughed. “Well, I did love him as a friend but the romantic part of our relationship was just for practice for both of us,” he whispered softly as he played with Jackson’s hair. “Luckily for you, I already have done all the practice I need.”

“Confident of your abilities then?” Jackson asked. He placed his hand against the headboard, leaning down and enclosing Reid between the bed and his own body.

Reid looked at him sheepishly. “I am confident I can romance you properly, Captain… as for the rest… I have been told I am a quick and eager student,” he whispered at his American.

“Please. Do romance me then.” A smile spread across Jackson’s face as he began to kiss Reid, trailing down his neck. The kissed weren't as restrained as before.

Reid gave him a somewhat startled look. “You are being rather forward now, Captain,” he said with a nervous chuckle. 

“Sorry.” Jackson caught himself. “I’ll stop,” he replied in a low voice, then curling himself submissively into Reid’s arms. “We should be getting to sleep anyway. I’m assuming there might be a body to accompany those fingers you found this morning and we’re both going to need our strength for tomorrow.”

Reid nodded in agreement, pulling the Captain closer to his chest. “Thank you,” he said as he gently cupped the smaller man’s cheek. “Sleep well, Jackson,” he whispered as he kissed the American’s cheek.

"Night."


	4. Chapter 4

Homer Jackson stirred in his sleep and shortly thereafter, he fully woke. The morning sunshine shone strong in his face, so he decided to turn over. He found himself face to face with Edmund Reid. Both of them were in Reid’s room sharing Reid’s bed; the man himself was curled up close next to Jackson and still was sleeping. 

Jackson smiled inwardly, it was the least space he had ever seen Reid take up in his life; he looked absolutely captivating in his sleeping position. Neither of them had woken up through the night and nothing… sexual, had happened, but Jackson still felt really good about this arrangement with Reid. A man could get used to this, he thought as he shifted closer to the other man.

Reid opened his eyes. “Morning,” he whispered groggily to his American, pulling the man to his face and pressing a light kiss to his neck. “How did you sleep?” he asked gently as he watched Jackson closely.

“Well, actually,” Jackson said, shifting in the bed. “And how did you sleep, Inspector?”

Reid smiled at him, wrapping his arms around the American’s smaller frame. “I slept better than I did in months… you are a quite nice bed warmer,” he whispered playfully. 

“As are you,” Jackson said, kissing Reid on the lips, gently. “It’s a shame we have to get to work so early today because of the case. I’d much rather stay here, to be completely honest with you,” Jackson admitted. 

“I do believe we can spare a few more minutes,” Reid whispered as he kissed Jackson back. “I was thinking maybe we should take a bath before work,” he said with a smirk.

“We? As in together?” Jackson asked incredulously.

“Yes. Unless you would object to bathing with me,” Reid answered as he got up and stretched his back. “Although I think it might be more practical if we did so together than not.”

“No, Sir. I wouldn’t mind that at all.” Jackson replied. “I gotta get my clothes from my room first, then I’ll meet you there straight away.”

Reid smiled at him. “I shall get the hot water running then,” he said as he kissed Jackson’s cheek before moving to the bathroom to start the bath.

Jackson practically ran into his room and looked for something clean to change in. It took awhile longer than he thought. When he finally made it to Reid, the man was already sitting in the tub waiting for him. 

Jackson took a sneaky glance at Reid’s body and then began to disrobe all the while making eye-contact with the man in the tub. He wondered why Reid was so shy the other day while changing. Jackson noted the scar and bruising on Reid’s shoulder as he took of the remainder of his clothing.

Reid’s eyes stayed locked with Jackson’s the whole time, even when he was completely naked. 

Slowly, Jackson eased his foot into the tub and Reid shifted over, allowing him more access until they were both fully seated as best as they could.

Reid watched Jackson undress in front of him carefully, thankful for the fact that the bubbles in the water were hiding how interested in the procedures he was becoming. He could not stop staring at the American’s body, the sharp angles and strong muscles and even the little scars he had from his past life with the army and the Pinkertons. As the other man settled in the tub, Reid handed him a bar of lavender scented soap with a light blush. “Is the water to your liking?” he asked

“Quite. Just like my bathing partner.” Jackson nudged him and then began to sud himself up with the scented bar of soap. It was then Jackson got an idea, “Hey, Eddie, a little help here. I can’t seem to reach this one spot on my back.” 

“Eddie?” he asked, raising an eyebrow but moving to help Jackson anyway. He slowly washed the other man’s back, planting a light kiss to his nape when he was finished. “Is that alright?” he asked.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” replied Jackson, relaxing into Edmund’s touch. “More than alright,” he sighed, enjoying the sensation.

Edmund smiled at his lover, pulling him for a quick kiss. “Maybe you could help me wash too?” he asked with a flirty glance. 

“Gladly. Turn yourself around.” Jackson started softly making soapy circles on Reid’s back. He took careful attention when he reached the bruised shoulder. Gently, he pressed feather-light kisses on the discolored flesh, asking for forgiveness for every time he brushed it a bit too hard.

Reid found himself loosen up under the American’s touch. He let out soft moans when the man kissed his shoulder, amazed at how he could love the thing Reid loathed the most about himself. Once Jackson was finished, Reid turned him around and gave him a long and sensual kiss. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“You’re welcome,” he whispered back in a low strangled voice. That kiss had affected Jackson more than he’d like to admit. The whole bathing experience was something that Jackson wouldn't had thought he would enjoy with somebody like Edmund as much as he did. 

There was another kiss that dragged out longer than the previous ones.

Reid slowly pulled back. “Now, I believe we must get dressed for work, Captain,” he said. His cheeks flushed. He watched Jackson pout,“We must not raise any suspicions at work, after all.”

“Fine. Fine.” A groan of frustration escaped from Jackson’s mouth when Reid separated from him and got out of the bath. Jackson got a quick glimpse of Reid’s backside before the other man swiftly wrapped a towel around his waist.

Reid turned around and smiled at his lover, doing his best to hide his blush as well as something else. He had not yet come to terms that a man like Jackson could hold such interest on his broken and battered body.

“Edmund,” Jackson whispered reverently while gazing upon Reid’s water sprinkled and freshly clean form. The smile that Reid had given him was genuine and amazing. Jackson hadn’t seen him smile so much in their entire acquaintance and now, over the past two days, Edmund’s smiles were a daily occurrence. They were just for him to see. Jackson felt honoured.

Reid blushed even more when he heard Jackson call him by his first name instead of Reid. Trying to keep an appearance of dignity, he fixed his glance on the man in the tub. “Yes, Matthew?” he asked gently.

Jackson didn’t even realize the name had slipped from his lips. “Uh, we better hurry up and get to work,” was all he could say to cover his first name slip-up.

“Yes, I agree,” said Reid as he started to get dressed. He heard Jackson hop out of the tub then began to change besides him carefully. Reid snuck a few peeks himself, trying to take in the masculine beauty of his lover’s body.

Jackson was very focused on the task at hand. He could feel Reid’s eyes searing into his body as he got dressed; the inspector was definitely checking him out. Jackson tried to pretend he didn’t notice the pair of eyes staring at his back when he lifted his undershirt over his head or the slight flush on the man’s face when he pulled his pants past a certain part of his waist. 

Reid looked away in embarrassment as realized Jackson knew that he was watching. God, could he be any less subtle? He just hoped the captain would not laugh at his schoolboy in love demeanor.

“Let’s grab something to eat on the way to work, yeah?” Jackson asked, buttoning up his last article of clothing and quickly fixing his messy wet hair in the mirror.

“Alright. Although, since it’s Monday, I think Mrs. Arthenton might have sent a box of her scones to the station as she usually does,” he said as he straightened his tie. “Do I... get a goodbye kiss?” he asked with sheepish eyes.

“Of course,” Jackson obliged. He planted one drawn-out kiss on Reid’s lips. “That’s going to have to hold you over until we get home from work, okay?”

“Sure,” said Reid with a mocking pout. “Let’s go, Jackson,” he said, slightly sad about leaving the house already but knowing deep down they should be at work.


	5. Chapter 5

Both Reid and Jackson arrived at the Leman Street station together that day happily smiling. A couple of the men who were already there turned their heads as the pair made their way across the entrance. They were louder than usual and their smiles absolutely would not stop no matter what. 

Jackson and Reid chatted, greeted, and smiled with the rest of the men as they enjoyed a nice morning pastry treat provided by Mrs. Arthurton. After they finished, Jackson waved ‘bye’ to Reid and the two men separated off to their respective workrooms.

That whole time, Drake had been keeping a keen eye on his friends and their less than normal behaviour. Something was up, he assured himself, so he decided to follow the known troublemaker of the two, Jackson, back into the deadroom. When he entered, Jackson was already looking over the box of human fingers that had been brought in the day before. He frowned at the American, standing between him and the table that held his work instruments. “May I ask what that was all about?” Drake spoke, raising an eyebrow at the other man.

“What do you mean by ‘all that’?” Jackson asked back innocently.

Drake sighed deeply, staring at Jackson for a moment. “The way you and the inspector came into the station looking like the cats who just ate the canary. What are you up to, American?”

“Nothing. We were just havin’ a bit of fun, Drake.” Jackson paused. “Honestly, can’t a man have a laugh with his friend without looking suspicious? What do you want me to say? That I got the Inspector hooked on drugs and prostitutes and petty theft. Things like that?” 

“I can think of very few things that would make both you and the inspector laugh. I just hope you do not get him into your troubles,” Drake said sternly.

“I assure you, it's just some innocent fun. Nothing bad and nothing to trouble yourself with,” Jackson assured.

Drake grunted, unsatisfied. “It better be.” 

He then left the room.

Jackson smiled to himself after Drake disappeared from sight. What he and Edmund were currently doing at the moment and probably would be doing in the future was far from what Drake probably categorized as ‘innocent.’ They would probably have to be more careful about their actions in front of others, especially at work, he realized. It hadn’t even been a two whole days yet and Drake was already suspicious of them. Damn Sgt and his coppering instincts, poking his nose where it shouldn’t be.

Reid knocked on the deadroom’s door sometime later. “Any progress with the fingers?” he asked Jackson as he looked over the American’s messy workspace. 

“I've determined that they belong to at least 3 different people. There are 5 fingers in total and 3 of them are what you know to be ‘ring-fingers’ the other fingers are a middle and a pinky; they all appear to be male.”

“Interesting…apparently Inspector Ressler has reported an unidentified corpse with its ring finger missing showing up on his division,” he said thoughtfully as he looked at the box then back at the man. 

“Have someone send the body over so I can examine it as soon as I can,” Jackson spoke.

Reid nodded. “The body is already on it’s way,” he said as he watched Jackson carefully. “It may be a awhile. Will- I be able to see you later tonight or will the autopsy take you awhile to complete?” he asked Jackson with a soft whisper. 

“I really hope that time will allow us to see each other, but I really don't know,” Jackson said as he touched Reid’s elbow. “Stop by later in the day if time allows, I’ll be here.”

Reid paused and said,“ No matter. We will go home eventually…and I will await you. Even If we must stay here late.” Reid drew the other man close to his body.

“We better be careful here at work,” Jackson whispered against Reid’s neck. “Drake already suspects that something has changed between us. I don't know how, but he does.”

“Noted,” said Reid with a small whisper and a smile as he let go of the hug. “I will try to make the sergeant lose track of us for a while,” he squeezed Jackson’s hand in his. 

“Thanks. See you around, Ed,”Jackson said, grinning slapping Reid's ass playfully as he turned around to leave the room. Reid nearly jumped in the air out of shock. For a second, Jackson thought he was going to yell at him. 

Reid was deeply startled when Jackson slapped him. It made him feel almost a bit undignified. It was then that realization struck him: did the American want them to do... That? Did he want more than just what they were doing...? He took a moment to recompose himself, deciding they would cross that intimacy bridge when they got to it.

Jackson smiled as he watched Reid leave. Reid’s startled reaction was seared into his mind for the entire rest of the day. True, he probably shouldn’t have done what he did; especially after lecturing Reid that Drake was onto them. But the door had been closed and nobody was around. The glimpse of Reid’s bum that he had caught earlier from that morning’s bath had been with him all day. He’d been wanting to get his hands on it ever since then. It had definitely felt as good as he thought and had been worth the wait.

The dead man’s body that came in thereafter kept Jackson busy with work for most of the day. It was nearly dusk when he finally saw Reid again. This time, he was in the company of Drake.

“Any news about the body, Captain? “Did any of the fingers match it?”

“Yes, in fact. As you can see this finger right here is clearly a match,” Jackson said, bringing a hairy ring finger to the body to show the two men that it indeed was a match. “Have you two found out the identity of this man yet? I have a few idea’s of my own if you haven’t.” 

Reid gave him a quick proud smile. “Please, do share them with us, Captain.” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, there are traces of aluminum oxide, beryl and silica all over his clothes and a few gold particles too, indicating that the man was someone in the jewelry business. His clothes are also well taken care of. He was probably a man of wealth and stature. I also found red mud covering his boots, which is found in the North side of town, especially near Hackney.”

Jackson was even more attractive when he showed his intelligence, Reid observed with a smile. He then took a long look at the dead man’s remaining fingers. “Small cuts… he must have been a goldsmith or some profession similar to that,” he said, scratching his chin. “In fact, I’m sure we have got report of one missing in the borough a few days ago. But what would bring a man like this to Hackney and his death?”

“That’s for you to discover, Reid. The investigating is your job, all I can provide for you is the analysis of the material evidence,” Jackson replied.

Reid raised an eyebrow. “Thank you, Jackson. I do believe we have enough to proceed for now. Please tell us in case anything comes up.”

“Will do,” Jackson winked at Reid as the two men left.

Reid blushed but continued to walk away with Drake, who gave them both an odd look.

‘A goldsmith with a missing ring finger?’ Reid thought when he was by himself at his desk. That was Interesting enough, but what was even more interesting was that there were still four fingers to account for. Hopefully not four more bodies. In the meantime, he had some investigating to do.

Edmund arrived home a little later than usual and far later than he had expected. He was surprised to find a mostly sober Jackson waiting up for him cuddled up with a orthopedic medical journal on loveseat. “Fine night,” Reid said as he removed his coat and hat. “Dead man was indeed a goldsmith. Samuel Hutter was his name. He had a shop in town and his sister reported him missing five days ago,” he spoke as he sat down.

“ Five days ago? The body wasn’t that old. He was only dead for three days the most, but more like two days,” Jackson said. “Did you find out anything else about the man? Married or anything like that?”

Reid sighed. “No, not married. He and his sister ran the family’s jewelry shop after the father’s death. He was a very reserved man, apparently. Were there any keys on his pockets?” he asked.

“No. I suspect he must have been robbed of them if they were ever there to begin with.” 

“The sister said he used to lock his office before he went out… I wonder if there are any clues in there,” he said thoughtfully. “Well, if the key was taken, there is probably someone interested in making sure whatever was there remains secret,” Reid added as he looked up at Jackson. 

“You could always break in,” Jackson suggested. “If there really is something worth hiding in there better that the police discovers it before anyone else.”

“We are calling in a locksmith tomorrow. We wanted to give the sister some time to assimilate the situation,” he added as he turned to look at Jackson. “I am rather tired of talking about this case… perhaps we should change to a more pleasant subject?”

Jackson put down the book. “Go on, I’m listening.”

Reid approached him slowly. “Perhaps… we could repeat last night?” he asked as sat down next to Jackson and caressed his face.

Jackson leaned in and kissed Reid.

Reid kissed him back tenderly and soon they were fervently kissing each other on his small loveseat. “Do you want to... go upstairs?” he asked with a handsome and hopeful smirk. He had been thinking a lot at work that day and came to the conclusion that he would indeed like to attempt to be intimate in ‘That Way’ if his surgeon was so inclined as well. He’d be lying to himself if he hadn’t thought about it before before this.

“Hell, yes,” Jackson answered. “I don’t know why all your furniture is so damn tiny.”

Reid laughed as he took Jackson’s hand and guided him upstairs to his… no, _their_ bedroom. As soon as the door closed, he pinned Jackson against it with a hungry kiss. “What shall we do tonight?” he whispered seductively into his ear as his leg parted Jackson’s.

“What we’re doing right now is just fine with me,” Jackson grunted between kisses, excited that Reid was taking the initiative.

“I agree,” Reid said as he planted a kiss to Jackson’s neck. “This is just lovely,” he said in a hurried moan.

Jackson was putty in Reid’s hands, arching into and moaning at every point of contact.

“Bed?” Reid asked with a smile, waiting for Jackson’s response as he backed away from the hard surface of the wall he had become more-or-less accustomed to.

“Yes,” Jackson breathed, holding on to Reid’s shirt and walking the both of them towards the bed until Reid’s legs hit the edge.

Reid grabbed Jackson and they fell over together on the bed. He let out a small chuckle. “What are you going to do to me, Captain?” he asked with a smug smile.

“I don’t know yet, but I’m going to start by kissing that lovely mouth of yours,” Jackson said, adjusting himself with Reid under him. He went back to giving Reid messy kisses to his red lips.

Reid kissed back, pulling Jackson closer against his body and feeling heat pool on his lower abdomen. He let out a soft moan from the Captain’s kisses and touches.

Jackson arched his back and made contact Reid’s leg a few times while running his fingers through his scalp and trying to hold himself back from grinding onto Reid more for some much needed friction.

“Someone is eager,” Reid remarked as he kissed down Jackson’s neck. 

“I’ve been thinking about you all day. You don’t know how hard it was to not do anything with you at work.”

Reid smiled at that. “I was not complaining… it was very hard for me to stay away from you at work today as well,” he said as he softly nibbled on Jackson’s ear.

“Why did you? I had half a mind to kiss you until your lips were raw when you said you would be back in my deadroom later. Then you had to bring Drake along with you the second time you visited me today. You bastard; you ruined my plans.”

“Will you make me pay for it, Captain?” he asked Jackson with a coy look.

“I think I already am, but if you insist...” Jackson smiled back before starting to kiss, bite, and suck at Reid’s neck. He thought about leaving a noticeable love-bite above the collar line for others to see for a split a second, but decided against it. 

Reid chuckled softly at before letting out a small groan of pleasure as Jackson kissed his neck.

The kissing continued for only a few more seconds until there was frantic knocking at the door. “Inspector Reid, Sir, I was told to fetch you. Another body has turned up,” said a voice belonging to Drake shouted from outside.

“He’ll be out in 5 minutes,” Jackson replied, continuing his efforts on Reid’s neck who was trying to get a hold of himself.

“Jackson, stop!” he whispered harshly as he struggled to get away from the American and think about a decent excuse for the two of them to be in a room together with a closed door.

Panic set in his eyes.

Thinking fast, Jackson ran over to his medical bag, grabbing a couple of things and then quickly ran back to Reid who had his shirt half-off due to their activities. Jackson took more of it off and exposed his bruised wound from earlier that week; he’d have to pretend he was treating Reid’s shoulder.

“It will just be a moment!” Reid assured him as he signaled for Jackson to begin with his fake treatment. Reid sat on the edge of the bed with his legs crossed and Jackson positioned his body so that his back was covering the both of them up.. Reid looked over to him, his eyes darting down quickly before Drake entered and he gulped.

As soon as Drake was able to make his way into the bedroom, Reid relaxed a bit. He had to give it to Jackson: The man was good at thinking on his feet. 

“Is something the matter, sergeant?” asked Reid, raising an eyebrow at the other man as Jackson prodded a bit too hard on his wounded shoulder, making him suppress a wince of pain.

“No-” Drake said slowly, eyeing the bandages and other things near Jackson’s person. “I mean, yes,” Drake corrected himself. “There’s been a new body that has been discovered in an alleyway. They want you at the scene of the crime before we move them. The American too.”

“Well, we shall leave the treatments for later then, Captain,” said Reid shifting in his seat and buttoning his shirt. “Just give us a few minutes, please, Bennet,” he asked with a gentle tone.

Drake nodded. “See you two outside.”

“That was close,” he told Jackson.

“Yeah.” Jackson pouted. “Well we better get you dressed again, Inspector,” Jackson said, straightening himself out too in the process.

Reid chuckled low at his comment, putting his tie and shoes back on that had also come off in their little tussle. “Let’s not leave the sergeant waiting, unless we want him to be more suspicious than he is,” Reid said with a smile. “And, if you behave well, I might allow you to take my shirt off again when we get home,” he said with a sly wink.


	6. Chapter 6

There was a new body and a new crime for them to attend to. 

Drake waited outside in the cold night air until Jackson and Reid came out of their shared living space. Once they were out, his eyes immediately locked with Jackson’s who gave him a smile in return. “The crime scene is about 8 minutes walk from here,” Drake explained. “A kid found him while he was on his way home from work.”

Reid nodded and followed him. “Has anyone spoken to the child yet? He might have some useful information about what he saw,” he said thoughtfully. 

“We’ve detained him at the scene. You can question him yourself when we get there,” Drake replied.

Reid nodded and soon they arrived at the crime scene. “Well, let’s talk to the boy then…” he said as Jackson crouched besides the corpse to examine it.

A small and dirty boy sitting against a wall in the dark tipped his hat at Reid, who he saw approaching. “Sir.” 

“What’s your name, boy?” asked Reid, trying to keep a stern but gentle tone not to scare the child away.

“James,” the boy said. “James Huggins. I work as a chimney sweep and I found the man dead like that on my way home. I didn’t do anything I swear!” The boy had tears in his eyes. “I got a hold of a copper as soon as I spotted him and they told me to wait here. I’m not in trouble am I?” 

“No, you are not in trouble, child,” he said gently, knowing boys like James were used to being blamed for everything. “I just want to ask a few more questions…” he said. “Did you see any suspicious behaviour on your before or after you found him?” he asked.

“I don’t think so- I- uh- really don’t know, Sir,” James said nervously.

“You don’t have to be afraid of telling me the truth, boy. I want to arrest the men who did that,” he said, motioning the corpse with his head. “Nothing bad will happen if you talk. I will make sure you are safe.”

“I’m unsure, Sir. I think I may have seen someone running away- but it’s dark out, so I couldn’t tell you anything about this person at all.”

Reid smiled at the boy and gave him a coin. “Go to the store and get yourself something to eat. Do you have any parents we can call to get you?” he asked.

The boy’s eyes brightened. “Thank you, Sir! And no, I live in a boy’s home. It’s about 15 minutes away from here. Please don’t tell them that I was here, Sir. I do not wish to get in trouble or worse!”

Reid gave him a tender smile. “You will not get in trouble boy… but I will find you somewhere safe to stay for the next few days. Now go get your food,” he said, giving the boy a gentle tap on the shoulder.

James scurried off out of the alley way into the night. 

“I think the kid knows more than he’s letting on,” Jackson said to Reid.

“Well, I think that too… but it will be way easier to make him talk of his own will than to force him,” he said as he watched the boy walk to one of the last vendors open in town selling food. “I might have to take tea with your wife again.”

“Susan? A cathouse is no place for a boy, Reid,” Jackson started.

“Some would argue neither is a boarding house,” he said as the boy returned to them and Reid guided him to a cab. “Besides, she might appreciate the extra help with chores.”

“Good luck convincing her,” Jackson said. “She hasn’t exactly been in a good mood lately. That’s the reason I moved in with you in the first place. You’re going to have a hard time getting her to agree to take on the little brat.”

“I may be better than you at persuading your wife, Jackson,” Reid said with smug grin. “Besides, I think James will appreciate the change of career,” he said gently to the boy who came back with his food.

Jackson made a face at Reid and then nodded in agreement. “Inspector, I do believe you should take a look at this body. I think you may find something interesting here.”

“What is it, Captain?” he asked as he took a closer look at the body, his eyes straining in the dark, wondering what Jackson wanted him to see. 

“Look for yourself, Reid,” Jackson smiled, challenging Reid’s intellect.

“The stains on his clothes?” asked Reid. They were an unusual reddish brown that did not agree with the dark soil of the area where the body had been found.

“Exactly. I’m going to have to do some lab work to confirm it, but yes, I do not believe that this man was killed here. Note the blood patterns. There is no blood leading away from the body or any besides the pool cause by the laceration on his chest. I think it may be the same killer according to his missing finger,” Jackson said motioning down to the missing digit.

Reid smiled at him. “Excellent, Captain… now I believe we must return to Leman Street so you can cut up this poor unfortunate soul,” he said. “We must stop at Tenter Street first, though.”

“We?” Jackson asked. “I’m sure if I come with you that my wife would be more likely to say, ‘no’ regarding the boy. But if you insist I will gladly come along,” Jackson added.

“It’s time for you and Susan to stop acting childish around each other,” Reid pointed out. 

“I have stopped acting childish,” Jackson lied. “It’s Susan who you should be telling this to.”

“You two play nice with each other,” he said to Jackson as they took the boy to Tenter Street.

* * *

“Inspector… what do I owe you the pleasure?” said Susan as they were shown into her sitting room. “Husband,” she acknowledged dryly as she saw Jackson.

“Wife,” Jackson replied back with just as much enthusiasm in his voice. It had been weeks since he had seen Susan. A lump formed in Jackson’s throat as a thought crossed his mind; they were still married. They were still married and now he was fooling around with Reid behind her back. Did she even care? She surely cared when he was fooling around with Rose and the other girls but never said a word. What would she do if she ever found out about him and Reid? Probably nothing, he noted. She had said that they were done.

“I do believe I require your help, Miss,” Reid said as he motioned the boy. “James is an orphan who is currently in a complicated situation… I was thinking he might be helpful to you and the girls around the house,” he said as the boy stared at her wide-eyed.

“I can certainly see what I can do with him,” Susan said with narrowed eyes, “but what’s in it for me? Why should I help you out, Inspector?”

Reid smiled at her. “You know I allow you to keep your establishment working without any disturbances from the law… besides, I would pay for the boy’s expenses. And you would get someone to make up the beds, clean the fireplaces and help scrub the floors,” he explained with a glossy smile. 

“Fine,” Susan said with mild annoyance. “Mary, please clear a room for the boy and get him cleaned up.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” the girl replied.

“Now if you don’t mind, Inspector. I would very much like it if you left my establishment now,” said Susan.

Reid smiled at her. “Thank you for your time, Miss,” he said in a courteous manner.

Jackson was the last to leave the building. He tried to keep eye-contact with Susan as long as he could but she ended up turning away before he thought of an excuse to stay any longer.

“Goodbye, Husband,” she acknowledged as she walked away.

A thin smile spread across Jackson’s face then he left the room at Reid’s heels.

“Shall we go back home now? I don’t think Arthenton will appreciate having you wreaking havoc over the station at this hour,” said Reid as he stared at Homer. “It will be morning soon. Besides, my shoulder is in need of medical attention…”

“”Medical attention,’ right,” Jackson smirked. “You really think I can get out of doing the autopsy right now?”

“You are lucky you have other ways of making your boss happier. Besides, not much can be done at the moment,” he said again with a small sigh. Reid hated delays on his investigations but making Jackson work through the night without it bringing any benefits to the outcome of the case was just cruel. Besides, he had other plans for his American…

“Let’s go home then.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating has been increased.

As soon as the front door closed, Reid turned to Jackson. “Shall we continue from where we were before Drake interrupted us?” he asked Jackson, taking his hand and slowly caressing it.

“Where were we again?” Jackson asked with a feigned aloofness.

“I believe we were in bed… and you were rutting against me,” he said in a low whisper.

“Such bold language,” Jackson said. He pulled Reid towards himself and kissed him. “I like it. Bed. Now.”

“At your command, Captain,” said Reid with a smirk as he took charge and guided Jackson back to the bedroom by his hand. 

Jackson felt his legs hit the back of the bed and he pulled Reid down with him so that the other man was on top of him as they began their resumed love making session. Reid kissed Jackson deeply, his mouth exploring his neck and his hands slowly undoing the buttons on Jackson’s waistcoat. 

“Is it alright?” he asked with a coy look.

“Only if you let me undress you too,” Jackson breathed as his thumbs brushed the buttons of Reid’s own waistcoat.

Reid took a deep breath and nodded. “Of course...just shirts tonight?” he asked softly, not sure how far Jackson had intended to take whatever was happening between them.

“Sure,” Jackson replied. “If that’s all you want tonight,” he said cupping Reid’s jaw.

It was Reid’s turn to blush. “Thank you. You are being very patient, but if you would allow it, I...I would like to try to make you satisfied, Matthew… ” he said shyly.

“Is it bad to admit that I've been attracted and wanted you, sexually, for quite some time now? But, well it’s only been a couple days since we have started ‘courting’ and I don't want to scare you away before we even get to do anything. A couple of weeks of abstinence isn’t going to kill me, Ed,” Jackson said raising his hand up Reid’s chest and tweaking his nipple.

Reid let out a whine before turning his attentions back to Jackson’s neck. He was very grateful Jackson was willing to respect his sensitivities towards what they were doing and waiting for him to be ready. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“Mmm,” Jackson hummed, pulling Reid closer to him for some skin-on-skin contact.

Reid smiled, enjoying feeling Jackson’s body. “Lovely,” he muttered as he kissed Jackson’s lips softly. “You are making me feel like that love-sick little boy who wrote poetry to his beloved all over again,”

“Hopefully by the time we’re done I’ll make you feel like a man.”

He chuckled at Jackson’s words, gently rutting against him. “Yes. Make me feel like a man,” Reid answered.

Jackson grabbed Reid’s hips and guided them down to meet his. 

Reid blushed again as he pulled Jackson closer to increase the friction between them. He smothered a soft moan on a nearby pillow.

“You don’t have to,” Jackson said with a grunt, “be quiet I mean.”

Reid gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry…” he muttered, quite unsure about how to proceed.

Jackson continued doing what he was doing with his hips and mouth as before, trying to respect Reid’s wishes.

Reid moaned softly, doing not to suppress it this time. He felt his trousers get tighter and looked up at Jackson. “You are making me quite interested in the procedures, Captain,” he whispered.

“I can see that,” Jackson smiled as his hands ventured down the inspector’s body brushing quickly past the growing bulge in his trousers.

Reid closed his eyes for a long moment. “If you would excuse me for a while, I can take care of it and we can continue,” he said, unsure what the proper etiquette was in that situation.

“Let me?” Jackson breathed, questioningly. 

Reid took a deep breath and nodded; he wanted this. “I know I said only shirts,” he muttered, looking up at Jackson with a coy look, “but will you, please?”

Jackson pulled at Reid’s garments down enough so he could move his hand into Reid’s drawers and then grabbed ahold of what he was looking for. Slowly, he began to stroke Ried, “Is this alright?”

“Yes…” Reid closed his eyes again, a small gasp escaping his lips. It had been well over a year since the last time he had been touched in such an intimate way and feeling Jackson’s fingers over his body almost brought him to tears. 

Jackson’s hand started picking up speed as he could tell that Reid wasn’t going to last long. He would deal with his own need after Reid was taken care of; Jackson’s thumb was ran along the tip and Reid let out a strangled cry.

Reid felt his release was close and reached up to kiss Jackson as the man stimulated his sensitive glans. “I don’t think… I can hold back much longer,” he choked out, noticing the volume in Jackson’s trousers with a shy blush. “May I help you too?”

“Yeah,” Jackson replied roughly while continuing to pump Reid.

Reid shyly reached inside Jackson’s pants, his fingers slowly brushing over the hard and warm flesh before he could get a proper hold of it and begin to mimic Jackson’s ministrations. “Am I doing it right?” he asked before letting out a louder moan.

“Uh-huh. Just, ah-, do it as if you were pleasuring yourself.” Jackson was trying his best now to make Edmund come now using all the maneuvers he had learned throughout the years. Edmund was hyper-sensitive and touch starved so it wasn’t that difficult. 

Reid nodded at Jackson’s words. It made it easier somehow and he began to touch Jackson as he would do when he self-abused. He slowly ran his thumb over Jackson’s glans, steadily pulling the foreskin back and smiling as he made the other moan right before Jackson touched just the right spot and he felt himself ready to climax.

“Edmund!” Jackson whined at the overwhelming pleasure coursing through his body. The action encouraged him to pick up speed with Reid and soon he had Reid coming in his hand.

Reid felt his head light as he came. He continued to stroke Jackson, determined to make him feel the same pleasure he had given him. 

Soon, Jackson had followed right behind Reid, still pumping him him softly as Reid continued to ejaculate in thick spurts and collapsed right next to him, wiping his hand on the sheets moments later. “Holy shit, Ed.”

Reid snuggled against Jackson. “That was very good… thank you, Captain,” he said with a smile.

“Anytime, Inspector,” Jackson smiled back. He lazily kissed Reid a few times. 

Reid blushed as he kissed him back. “I..I did not disappoint, right?” he asked, feeling a bit insecure.

“No, nothing you do can disappoint me, Edmund. You were great.”

He blushed even more. “You don’t need to flatter me, Captain...besides, suggestions are welcome… one must always seek to improve their skills,” he said with a small smile.

“Oh. I have a lot of suggestions,” Jackson smiled wickedly. “Of things we can try together.”

Reid smirked and laid closer to him. “I open to them, Captain,” he said as he watched Jackson closer. “Educate me.”

“Well, there are a lot things that you might have not have necessarily done before,” Jackson spoke softly while trailing his hands down Reid’s body, “And I can’t wait to show you sometime.”

Reid smiled at him. “Yes. I want you to show me,” he said softly as he caressed Jackson’s cheek. “You know I am always avid for knowledge,” he said as he laid on his side.

“I know. And I love that about you, your thirst for knowledge is astounding,” Jackson replied putting his arm around Reid and looked into his piercing blue eyes.

Reid gave him a shy smile. “Perhaps… you could tell me about those things? Just so I can get used to the idea…” he said, slightly nervous, knowing his request was somewhat unusual.

“Surely you must know how two men might commit sexual acts together... I don’t believe you to be completely oblivious, surely you have seen or at least heard of it in hushed whispers,” Jackson started.

Reid took a deep breath. “I know how those acts usually go… but… I never had anyone describing them as pleasant or in a positive way,” he said as he ruffled Jackson’s hair. “It’s fine if you don’t want to talk though… I am more than happy with kissing.”

After Reid kissed him Jackson said, “Kissing is all fine and good but this is something we need to talk about and something we will most likely have face one day if we continue with this relationship especially at this pace.” 

Jackson’s voice got serious. “You work in a police station, Ed, I am sure that most of the circumstances that you have heard connected to this act are filled with pain, misery, hell… even rape. But I can assure you, if you do it with a partner who trusts and cares about you and who you trust and care about back, it can be very pleasurable. It’s nothing to be scared of, not much anyway.”

Reid’s expression changed to a more serious one. “I agree with that...it’s just- I might need a while and some encouragement to get used to it,” he said as he laid besides Jackson. “There is no other man I trust more than you with this, Captain Jackson,” he said staring deeply into The other man’s eyes. 

“You can fuck me exclusively if you're worried. It doesn't have to go the other way around even one time if you don't want that,” Jackson said outright. “I certainly don’t mind. That way you will know there’s nothing to be worry about. ”

Reid turned bright red at Jackson’s words. “Are you sure I would not hurt you? I do not wish to make you feel pain due to my lack of experience,” he said as he looked up at the ceiling with red cheeks to avoid Jackson’s glance.

“Don’t worry, you’ll have me to guide you. And if you do start hurt me I will tell you so. It shouldn’t be a problem if you give me some time to prepare myself,” Jackson smiled, looking at Reid’s flushed face in the dark as best he could.

“Thank you,” he whispered as he took Jackson’s hand and kissed the back of it. “You are being truly wonderful, Captain,” he said in a whisper.

“Just helping out a fellow human in pain. We both need this more than we could imagine.” Jackson paused before adding, “You still haven’t gotten over Emily,” in the softest whisper he could manage.

Reid thought for a long moment. “No, I haven’t,” he said as he turned around to stare at Jackson. “You are not over Susan either,” he said, holding the Captain’s gaze.

“No…” Jackson trailed off. “I haven’t”

“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk,” said Reid, lightly squeezing his hand.

“There’s nothing to say,” Jackson said staring aimlessly into the dark. A sliver of a smile forced it’s way onto his face. “Besides, I have you now.”

Reid gave him a long and sad look before nodding. He had no illusions about being more than a rebound for the captain, but having it put so directly made him ache inside.

Jackson’s next words spoke the truth about the inspector’s suspicions,“Don’t take this conversation the wrong way, Reid. I do care about you a lot. I am attracted to you and consider you to be one of my best friends. I want _you_ now. I am done with Susan for good and she with me.”

He smiled. “I know… I just want you to be happy… even if it is not with me who you will be happy with,” he said as he kissed Jackson’s cheek. “Though I am quite fond of you, so it may be difficult,” he said tenderly.

“I am very fond of you too, Ed. I want to make you feel happy and I want to be happy with you. Promise.”

Reid pulled him closer on a tight embrace. “We should get some rest now… today was very eventful,” he said.

“Yeah,” Jackson agreed. “It’s going to be morning soon, I think. I don’t even know when Drake pulled us out of bed earlier, but it was already late then.”

Reid smiled at him and cuddled closer. “Sleep well, Captain,” he said as he kissed Jackson’s forehead one last time.


	8. Chapter 8

Jackson and Reid had time for a quick morning make-out session before work, then went on their separate ways for the day.

For once, Jackson actually got to the station before Reid to start the autopsy while the body was still fresh. In addition to that, he also had to do lab tests for the soil that they had found at the scene of the crime. He tried to do it as fast as possible so that Reid could start his part of the investigation.

A little later into that morning, Reid entered the morgue with two mugs of Arthenton’s Turkish coffee in hand. With a small smile as he handed Jackson one of the steaming mugs. “Any news on the body thus far?” he asked as he glanced over at the opened corpse and the discarded organs lying on the table.

“There are multiple stab-wounds and lacerations on the victim’s body in an upward diagonal direction, which suggests the person doing the stabbing was most likely shorter than the man himself. The wounds bled out, showing that the man was still alive when he received them. They, themselves, were not the cause of the death the fatal wound was a single incision on the carotid artery, which made the man bleed to his death. As we established earlier, he did not bleed out at the scene of the crime, as there was not enough blood in that area. The blood would have most-likely spurted out considerably. The victim also had some broken fingers with blood underneath the nails; he must have fought the victim.” Jackson explained. “There is also another surprising detail.”

Reid listened intently to him with close attention, trying not to get distracted by Jackson’s skilled lips being so close to him. “And what detail is that, Captain?” he asked, raising one eyebrow, his cheeks flushing as he noticed Jackson was eyeing him.

“Ejaculate. In his stomach, and lots of it at that,” Jackson said, looking Reid straight in the eyes.

Reid blushed even more, taking a sip of his coffee to hide his embarrassment. “So he was a, um. homosexual… well, we might start looking for molly houses then…” he said, trying to hold Jackson’s gaze but eventually looking down. 

“Yes, I should think so” Jackson chuckled, “I don’t think many heterosexual men would have that substance in their stomachs.”

Reid flushed even more. “Is that… a thing you want to do?” he asked shyly. He had only heard of such practices and they were usually performed by whores and never experienced that sort of pleasure himself. He had to admit that he was more curious than disgusted, though.

“I would like to, eventually. Would you?” Jackson asked back.

Reid stared at him for a short moment. “I… yes. I would like it… you would have to guide me, though… I… I never saw or have done anything like that before,” he said, twisting his hands nervously.

“Not even with your wife?” Jackson asked curiously. “ Or a whore?”Surely you’ve seen such an act during a raid of a brothel or such?”

“Emily would never do something like that and I never visited whores,” he said, feeling his whole face warming up. “I have heard about it but never seen it performed… not even brothel raids” he said shyly.

A smile spread across Jackson’s face. “We’ll I guess I’m going to have to show you sometime.”

“Will you be home tonight?” Reid asked Jackson gently. “I might want to do some ‘case research’, as you might can call it.”

“I will. Even if another body comes in, needing my attention, I’ll come home to be with you,” Jackson spoke as he put his hand softly on Reid’s cheek.

“Thank you,” Reid said with a small smile. “I will check the nearby molly houses… will you be coming with me too?” he asked Jackson as he leaned into the caress.

“Do you want me to?” Jackson asked.

“Your knowledge of such matters would be helpful,” he said in a low whisper. “Besides, I think Drake might not want to come with me,” he remarked.

“My knowledge is not extensive as you may think, Inspector.” he chuckled. “I tend to lean towards women, as you have seen evidenced. But if it will make you feel more comfortable, I will come along with you.”

“Thank you,” Reid whispered. “Well, I shall get everything ready then… you let me know once you are done with examining the body,” he said, squeezing Jackson’s arm before he left the deadroom.

Jackson looked down at his bloodied hands and then at the mess of the corpse along with all the organs and such spread out on the table; he then he sighed. It might be awhile before he would be able to get to Reid.

* * *

About one hour later they were on a cab heading to a discreet molly house in Whitechapel. The man who ran the place was known for cooperating with H division in exchange for being left in peace to do his business as long as he kept quiet. Reid could feel some awkwardness between him and the captain after the conversation they had had earlier regarding the ejaculate and it felt rather oppressive with the two of them on the cab. As he noticed no one was watching them, he slowly reached for Jackson’s hand under the cover of his hat.

Jackson reciprocated the gesture during the cab ride and tried to make small talk to take Reid’s mind off of the subject. He talked softly as he could in order not to be overheard. “Hopefully somebody at this first place knows who the man is. If not, we might have to make a few more journeys around all the places. Possibly even out of town. I fear you might die of embarrassment, if that's the case.”

Reid chuckled at Jackson’s comment. “Well, I might be able to control my embarrassment if you behave appropriately,” he said with a friendly nudge to Jackson. “But I really hope we get it right on the first place… or that Mr. Ringley at least can direct us to someone who might be useful,” he added.

“How many times have you spoken with Mr. Ringley before?” Jackson asked.

“What? Are you jealous? He has helped in a few investigations and was part of our informant network during the Ripper case,” he said staring at Jackson. 

“Ah. Well, I’m jealous only if he’s rich. As you well know I’d have no chance in that department,” Jackson laughed.

Reid laughed at Jackson’s comment. “I can assure you he is not rich, so you should be safe of me running off with him,” he said playfully. 

Jackson paused, thinking, “Wait, you’re telling me that during your visits there you never once saw any ‘interactions’ between the guests there?”

“No, I never did… he usually talks to us in his office so I only catch a glimpse of the boys that are not booked at the moment,” he said, his face flushing.

“Any of them ever strike your fancy?” 

“I might have taken a better look at a few of them… but never beyond that. Although there was this boy who worked there during the Ripper case that seemed to be rather infatuated with me,” Reid mentioned with a wink.

“Really now?” Jackson said, as a foolish pang of jealousy hit him in the chest. He was temporarily at a loss for words.

“He was almost a child, though… so it was not reciprocated on my part,” he said with a tiny smile. “I guess it was more a hero worship than anything else.”

“Yeah. You sure are a hero. The great Edmund Reid,” Jackson chuckled as Reid shot him a glance. Jackson apologized quickly. “I wonder if he is still there, the kid who liked you.”

“I haven’t seen him in a while but I will make sure to let you know who he is if we see him,” Reid said, getting lost in thoughts for a moment. “I felt rather flattered at the time, actually”

“I’m sure loads of women and men alike turn their heads when you walk past them in street,” Jackson admitted.

Reid flushed a bit, never have really thought about himself as attractive. “Now you are flattering me too, Captain,” he said.

“For real, Ed. I've seen it for myself. When you come in a room, heads turn and ladies blush. You do have a sort of presence that draws a person in. It certainly drew me in, you know,” Jackson smirked.

“So I have managed to seduce you, Captain?”

“I would say so,” Jackson answered, squeezing Reid’s hand as they pulled up to the Molly house.

They entered and were soon shown to Mr. Ringley’s office by a very young man. 

“Inspector, it’s a pleasure,” said the short older Mr. Ringley with a glossy smile. He stood up from his seat. “How may I help you today?”

“We’re wondering about the identity of a man.”

Reid took the picture from his pocket and laid it in front of Mr. Ringley.

“Ah, I know him… he used to come here but his tastes were…too unusual for my boys so I referred him somewhere else.”

“Where?” Jackson asked.

Ringley smiled at Jackson. “Someone is quite eager to know,” he said as he wrote down the address. Reid took it and thanked him. 

“Thank you for your help, Mr. Ringley…if you see or hear anything else that seems suspicious, please let me know,” he said.

Mr. Ringley nodded and bid them farewell.

* * *

“Have you heard of this place before?” Jackson asked taking the paper from Reid’s hand. “I don’t think I have?”

“No,” said Reid as they walked back to the street. “But I believe we might be onto something here,” he said as he hailed a cab so they could get back to Leman Street.

“Did you notice that even though Mr. Ringley recognized the man, he didn’t even give us the name. I wonder why,” Jackson questioned out loud.

“Because Mr. Ringley does not asks for names… it’s part of his business model to keep the clients’ secrecy and avoid blackmail.”

“Then how are we ever going to get a name for this man?”

“By going to the place Mr. Ringley directed us to… someone might be able to recognize him there,” he said as he sighed. 

“What if they keep their clients private as well? What will you do then?”

“Talk to the boys… one of them must remember the man, specially if he had odd tastes. They might have some clues to help us identify him,” he said. “We should drop back at the station and get his personals affects first, though… this might make it easier.”

“Sure, but we didn’t find much on his body. What items were you thinking of picking up?”

“His wallet, handkerchief and shoes… did you find anything else on him?” he asked

“He had a ring around his neck, tied to a string,” Jackson said.

“Let’s get that too,” Reid answered. “Do you want to go with me?”

“Yes but what do you say we take a little ‘break’ before we head off again,” Jackson smiled.

“Those places usually work during the day to avoid night raids and raise less suspicion,” Reid said thoughtfully. “Perhaps we should investigate it tomorrow. I am afraid it’s getting quite late in the evening to do it today… ”

“Alright. We’ll do it tomorrow then,” Jackson said.


	9. Chapter 9

“Did you ever hear back about the first victim and his locked office? Did they manage to get it open?”

“Yes… all they found was scrambled papers and books. The constables are looking it over to see if something important was left behind,” Reid said.

“I'm glad we don't have to spend hours going through them ourselves,” Jackson smiled.

“Thank God for constables and for Arthenton to keep them in line while they are doing their work,” Reid said. “What about heading back to the station and then going back home?” he asked.

“That sounds just fine with me, Ed. There better not be another goddamned body waiting for me when we get back though.”

“Agreed.” 

The journey back to the station from the molly house seemed shorter than the journey there. People were already waiting to report to Reid as soon as they walked in the doors.

“Back already, are you?” Drake asked.

“Yes. We might have gotten a new lead that we’ll be checking further into tomorrow,” said Reid. “Find out anything else for us today while we were gone, Sergeant?” 

“We’re still going through the papers but we did find something that might interest you, Sir,” Drake said.

“What is it?” asked Reid with a raised eyebrow. He was genuinely curious to know what was found in the contents.

“Love letters. Love letters and blackmail,” Drake explained. “That man was in some deep trouble.”

“How so?” asked Reid curiously as he took the stack from Drake and took a look over them.

“The man’s life was repeatedly threatened. And it looks like he had been paying somebody off for awhile, it seems,” Drake explained as Reid began to scan through the letters himself. “And, Sir,” Drake started. “Them love letters, they use rather ‘explicit language’ at times. Some of the men couldn’t finish reading them for the catalogue.”

“No matter.I will check them myself at home anyway…do you think the letters and blackmail might be from the same person?” Reid asked curiously.

“The love letters and blackmail both are from two separate people. We did find a few older letters written in a different hand, but it looks as if it has been some years now since he has received any from that person.”

“Interesting… thank you, sergeant,” Reid said, putting the letters into his pocket. “See you tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir,” Drake noddeed.

“Do you really intend to go through all those letters?” Jackson asked curiously as soon as the other man left.

“Well, they might have some important information…” said Reid as he checked in on Jackson in his deadroom at the end of the day. “Besides, it’s only a handful of them.”

“Well I hope you have fun with that then. I’ll be right behind you I have to go do something real quick before I come home,” Jackson said.

* * *

When Jackson got home about 40 minutes later, Reid was reading the letters in his chair. 

“I’m going to make dinner for us tonight,” Jackson announced.

Reid gave him a small smile. “Well, although you did say you knew how to cook a few days ago, I’ve never seen you cook, myself …” he said as he got up from his seat. “What are you making?” he asked.

“I got some pork from the butcher on my way back. I think you also have some vegetables around here somewhere. I can cook simple stuff like that pretty easily,” Jackson shrugged.

“Sounds rather appetizing. Do you want any help?” 

“If you’re done reading those letters then, sure. Otherwise, I can manage. You can wash and skin some potatoes if you’re done,” Jackson said. 

“I am not done yet but I would like to help.” Reid said with a gentle smile. He entered the kitchen, planting a light kiss to Jackson’s cheek before moving over to begin working with the potatoes.

“Did you find out anything interesting from the letters yet?” Jackson said, rolling up his sleeves and starting some small-talk while they were both cooking.

“Our goldsmith was also a regular from the male brothel Mr. Ringley told us about. As I suspected the two cases are connected,” he said. He then got very flushed. “I also… might have found some very graphic descriptions of what happens there in the brothels.”

“It can’t be too bad, right?” Jackson asked.

“I didn’t even knew some of those things were possible,” Reid said, becoming even more red. 

“Almost anything is possible if you put your mind to it, Edmund.” Jackson smirked. “Tell me, were you as repulsed by such acts like the men at the station were? Is that why you stopped reading to help me?”

Reid turned bright pink at those words. “Well, except for the piss thing, most of them had quite the opposite effect… And the reason I decided to come over to help you because I am rather worried about you burning the house down,” he said, ending his sentence with a smile.

“Burn the house down? I would never! I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised with my fantastic cooking skills. But it has been awhile though... and I do appreciate the help and company,” Jackson trailed off.

Reid blushed even more. “Also… I wanted to be near you,” he said in a low whisper, feeling very embarrassed about his admission, knowing that he sounded just like a boy being in love for the first time..

“In hopes that I will try some of the illicit acts mentioned in the letters or just because I’m great company?” Jackson laughed.

Reid nudged him. “Don’t get so full of yourself, Captain,” he said, before whispering close to Jackson’s ear. “Although, I cannot deny you are great and handsome company.”

“Handsome, am I?’

“You are surprised?” said Reid. “I consider you rather attractive, Captain” he added with a soft smile.

“I know,” Jackson said. “You have mentioned this to me before. But every time it comes out of your mouth it still surprises me. How long? You said you’ve liked me for awhile but when was the first time you remember this thought crossing your mind? I think for me it was the first time I met you.”

“Pretty much the same for me,” he answered, blushing again. “You know I’ve told you that you make me feel like a schoolboy all over again, right?” he asked softly as he took Jackson’s hand and gently caressed it.

“Yes, and you make me feel like a young man back in America,” Jackson hinted while planting a chaste kiss on Reid's cheek before he went back to his kitchen duties.

Reid continued to skin the potatoes. “When you were a young man...back in America… did you… ever find yourself in circumstances similar to these?”he asked, unsure about how to approach the subject of a previous male lover with Jackson.

“Yes. Although, I was probably much older than you were with your first experience with another male in boarding school. I want to say I was in my late teens or early 20’s,” Jackson said casually. “It was rough time in my life and there weren't much women around.”

“Were you in love with him?” Reid asked as he watched Jackson carefully. 

“There were a few of them,” Jackson corrected. “And no, I don’t think so, not with the people in the army. But there was this one guy from my time with the Pinkertons. I might have been in love with him at the time but it’s hard to say for sure.”

“The army?” asked Reid curious about Jackson’s past experiences. “Do you want to tell me about this man you loved from the Pinkertons?” he asked softly.

“In the army. everybody knew everybody and what we were doing; it didn’t mean anything to any of us. Just a way to curb frustration. But the man from the Pinkertons was a little different though, he was my friend, a colleague, we worked together a lot,” Jackson smiled to himself. “He’s dead now. I never told him that I loved him exactly.”

Reid made an understanding noise at Jackson’s comment. He then looked down, almost halfway through with the potatoes. “Was he Frank Goodnight?” he asked discreetly.

“Yeah. My fault he’s dead, huh? But he was dead to me long before I killed him. ” Jackson said, trying not to let any emotions leak through his voice. “He wasn’t the best person. I figured that out too late.”

Reid let out a sad smile and gently touched Jackson’s arm. “You did what you had to do,” he said, before a moment of awkward silence. “Did he hurt you?”

“No, I think I hurt him. I fell in love with Susan and brushed him aside. It’s my fault, but he did not take it too well. It was then that I learned that he had many more issues and demons than I knew of when we were ‘together.’ I’m glad that I did get out of that situation before it got bad, which was inevitable.”

“What sort of issues, if you do not mind me asking?” said Reid as he finished with the potatoes and moved on to help Jackson with the other vegetables. 

“Anger, control, always being right, aggressiveness, among other faults. Not towards me, he was mostly nice to me. But the other men didn’t like him much, I never knew why and I didn’t open my eyes wide enough to notice things. He had a soft-spot for me, as it were, he was a different person and I was blinded by what I think was love.”

Reid smiled gently at him, caressing his arm once more. “Well, you probably got out at the right time,” he said as he continued to caress Jackson’s arm. 

“Yeah,” Jackson said quietly. “Dinner should be ready in about 10 minutes. I just have to let the meat rest for awhile and wash a few dishes so we can eat on them. Why don’t you get back to the letters while we’re waiting.”

Reid kissed his cheek. “Alright,” he said as he cleaned his hands before moving back to the living room.

Approximately 10 minutes later Jackson called Reid to eat. On the table was two meals and a bottle of wine. “Dinner is served, Inspector,” Jackson greeted Reid when he came into the room.

“Well, I must say I am rather surprised,” said Reid as he sat down on the table. “The smell is delicious,” he added, giving Jackson a sincere smile. 

“I hope you enjoy it; and if it does taste bad, my excuse is that I’m severely out of practice. You shouldn’t get ill or anything, though,” Jackson added.

“You are supposed to make me quite the opposite of ill, doctor,” Reid said playfully as he tasted the food. “You did a good job, actually,” he said, surprised as he moved on to take the next bite.

Jackson cut a piece for himself to taste too. “Wow. Not half-bad.”

They enjoyed their dinner in a comfortable silence. After the dirty dishes were put away, Reid turned to Jackson. “I would like you to take a look at the letters too, if you don’t mind,” he said.

“Of course. I gotta see what’s making you so damn flustered.” Jackson followed Reid to the living room and sat down. “Why don’t you read them to me?”

Reid turned bright red again. “I… I am not sure that is a good idea… you should take a look at them for yourself. Also, I think these smears on this particular letter match the dirt found on the last victim,” he said as he leaned over Jackson.

“Would you look at that?!” Jackson said, taking the letters from Reid. “I would say I’d agree with you but I have to take these back to the lab to make sure. Which letter should I start with?”

“This one,” said Reid, handing him a letter, still flushed. “It has the earliest relevant date,” he added.

“10th of May, 1890…” Jackson began to read outloud. His eyes scanned through the letter as fast as he could manage. “Wow, Edmund,” he said when he was finished reading. “You were right, there is some serious shit in these letters.”

Reid blushed even more. “A few things from here might be helpful to the case, though,” he said as he scanned through the other letters.

“Yeah,” said Jackson, reading more of the letters and shifting in his seat. “These men certainly have a way with words.”

Reid took his hand and gently caressed it. “Have you ever done any of these things?” he asked in a low and soft voice.

“Not exactly per-say. This man did get kicked out of Mr. Ringley’s place, after all,” Jackson said with a reddening face. 

“The first letters are rather tame, though… Things get weird later,” he said, noticing Jackson was blushing too. “You look adorable when you blush.”

“Am I actually blushing? Damn. Well you did start me off with quite a ‘descriptive’ letter. The ones that followed didn’t help. I can’t help but imagine an act such as the content of the letters taking place now. ”

“Really?” said Reid, rather surprised to find himself not disgusted or outraged by that statement, but curious about how it would feel and nervous about pleasuring Jackson the right way. 

“Yes. How many of these letters are there anyway? Did you find any other usable information for the case?”

“I did find some useful information… but I will have to tell you tomorrow when we make sure that these stains match the ones on the victim’s body,” he said with a smirk. “What do you say we go to bed now?”

Jackson got up from his seat and moved his way over to Reid as a reply. He pulled Reid up and began to kiss him.

Reid kissed him back. “I will take that as a yes… and also that you do not mean to sleep right away,” he said playfully.

“I don’t intend to, yes,” Jackson replied with a wolfish grin.

“Let’s go then,” Reid said, gently pulling at Jackson’s shirt to make him follow him upstairs.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW chapter & longest one yet!

Jackson followed behind Reid who opened up the door to their now shared bedroom. Reid gave him a shy smile as he lit the gas lamp inside before sitting down on the bed with the other man. “How shall we begin?” he asked.

“You’re always so formal about this,” Jackson remarked, kissing the side of Reid’s neck. “Just do what you want. You’re not going to scare me away, I reckon.” 

Reid leaned into the kiss. “Noted… I am still a bit uneasy about what is considered appropriate and what is not when you are bedding another man,” he said in a low whisper, enjoying the warmth of Jackson’s embrace.

“Well you just treat me as if you would treat anybody else. I am open to mostly any act you can think of; if you are unsure if I will say yes or not, ask for permission.” Jackson paused. “ I’m not as sensitive or closed up about things as other people are. You will not offend me easily.”

Reid nodded and kissed his lips, pulling Jackson closer to begin undoing the buttons on his shirt. “What do you have in mind for us tonight, Captain?” he asked with a sly smirk.

“I don’t know, Inspector. What do you want me to do for you right now?” Jackson asked, also undressing the man. “Tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you.”

Reid looked at him for a long moment. “I am curious about some things that were mentioned in that letter,” he whispered as he finished unbuttoning Jackson’s shirt and waistcoat before flinging off his suspenders so he could remove the shirt. “If you were willing to do them with me tonight, I’d be a very happy man.”

“Which letter? Which things?” Jackson asked curiously. “I hadn’t finished reading them all.”

“July 20th of 1891,” Reid said with a smile. “The one where they mention using their mouths.”

“Like what we were talking about earlier today? So you want me to suck your cock, Inspector?” Jackson seductively uttered. 

“If that’s what you desire as well, Captain,” he said as he kissed Jackson’s neck. “I will have to say you will be the first to do so for me, however”

“With pleasure.” Jackson began to stimulate Reid through his trousers while also trying to remove them and keep kissing the man at the same time. Reid leaned into the touch, his hands clumsily helping Jackson removing his own undergarments. Once they got Reid undressed, Jackson asked Reid if he was ready.

Reid smiled at him and nodded. “Yes,” he said, feeling a tingling of anticipation deep on his stomach. The idea of Jackson’s lips around his cock was enough to get him hard. 

Jackson kissed his face one last time before getting up to move down the bed so his mouth might reach another part of Reid’s anatomy. To begin, he planted light kisses up Reid’s thigh, his mustache and facial hair tickling against Reid’s leg. 

The left side of Jackson’s cheek came into contact with Reid’s cock first from his kisses and then his hand followed shortly behind. Reid took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down and not lose his composure over Jackson’s ministrations so early. Unsure of what to do, he buried his fingers on Jackson’s hair, letting out a soft groan as Jackson pumped his manhood with his hand a few times.

Jackson steadied himself and softly touched his lips to Reid’s outstanding erection. Reid shuddered at the new sensation. Jackson’s tongue flickered over the tip to taste him as he had been wanting to do since their previous encounter. He figured since this was Reid’s first time receiving felatio that he would try to make it good.

Reid looked down at Jackson, feeling the velvety caress of the man’s tongue on his manhood. He let out a small moan as he continued, pulling lightly at the other’s hair.

Jackson parted his lips and took Reid into his mouth rather sloppily. He then began to create pressure with his lips as he moved across his cock.

“Matthew,” Reid moaned softly as he continued to grab Jackson’s hair. God, it was heavenly to be touched in such an intimate manner, especially by someone as the Captain.

Jackson groaned around Reid when he heard the man use his given name in such a manner. His hand began stroking his own needy erection almost mindlessly. Reid was seemingly was really enjoying his actions and although he was so severely out of practice, Reid didn’t seem to notice. It was difficult trying to not choke every time Reid unknowingly yanked his hair to draw him closer to his body, but Jackson managed. He’d have to mention something to Reid later. 

Reid felt himself ache and get close to completion as Jackson began to suck him without abandon. “Oh, God, Matthew… it feels so good,” he said between moans. Jackson doubled up with his efforts and tried to get more creative with his movements; swirling his tongue around the tip as he bobbed his head to get deeper with each thrust. Reid enjoyed the sensation, pulling harder at Jackson’s hair and feeling an intense joy that Jackson was willing to give him so much pleasure.

Jackson almost coughed but fought the urge before taking in a breath of air before going back down on Reid. Now he was staying closer to the tip now due to Reid’s movements and using one of his hands to stroke him in unison with his mouth. 

“I don’t think I can hold back any longer” said Reid, in case Jackson did not want his seed to spill in his mouth. As soon as he finished the sentence, his mind went blank as he released himself.

A trail of Reid’s come was dripping from Jackson’s face. He managed to mostly pull out in time; and closed his eyes. Jackson cleaned himself and Reid off while simultaneously wanking himself off as fast as he could. He was super hard from servicing Reid. Strangely, the hair pulling and Reid’s assertive forcefulness was a bit of a turn on for him.

“Let me help you,” said Reid with a tender voice, when he noticed Jackson was taking care of himself. “Please… I want to make you feel as good as you made me feel.”

“Okay,” Jackson breathed heavily, fluttering his eyes shut and letting sensation take over. Reid smiled at him, shyly placing his hand over Jackson’s cock before he began to stroke it with more confidence than he did on the night before.

All Jackson could do was slump against Reid and give into the sensation. Reid concentrated on his task, feeling very satisfied when he heard Jackson moaning softly under his ministrations, kissing him on the lips. “Are you enjoying it, Captain?”

“Don’t stop what you’re doing,” Jackson moaned.

Reid smirked and continued, enjoying having this much power over Jackson and soon he felt him come onto his hand. 

“Edmund,” Jackson said, coming down from his orgasmic high. He then trailed his wet mouth up Reid’s neck until he reached his lips which he kissed slowly to thank the man for the wonderful experience. He kissed back, caressing Jackson’s face.

“Matthew” he whispered back as he laid besides him. “It was… well, it was amazing”

A self-satisfied smirk spread across Jackson’s face as he ran his fingers through Reid’s hair. “’I’m glad you liked it. Can you believe you waited this long to do that?”

Reid chuckled. “I know… but I am really glad I have an amazing and patient lover to show me all these wonderful acts.”

“I enjoy having you as a lover too; you’re a fast learner and there’s still a couple more ‘acts’ that I’d love for you to experience. But of course you know that now because of all the letters you’ve been reading.”

Reid blushed. “You want to do all of those things with me?” he asked, feeling rather flattered but somewhat anxious.

“Well, the ones we are both interested in. Yes. I would.”

Reid smiled. “Oh, and which ones made you interested, if I may ask?” he asked, staring at Jackson’s lips.

A sharp intake of breath came from Jackson’s direction as he contemplated honestly answering Reid’s question. “Well, there are a few positions I would like to try out together,” Jackson started to say. “I would also very much enjoy it if we could do anal one day,” he said a little too quickly. “But I’m fine with what we have here too if you're not comfortable with the idea quite yet,” he added.

“I do not...oppose to the idea of that… I just need a little more time to get used to it,” Reid said, his cheeks blushing. “What positions do you have in mind?” he asked, rubbing circles on Jackson’s palm.

“I dunno, I’d like to touch each other at the same time or generally just be closer to you. Even when we’re just sleeping.” Jackson usually didn’t like baring his soul like this or being too sentimental but this had to be said. “You still seem so distant sometimes, Edmund.”

Reid sighed. “Forgive me… I guess I wasn’t used to affection anymore before you came along,” he said as he took Jackson’s hand and kissed it. Then he wrapped his arms around him for a hug. “I want to be with you. In every way.”

“It’s alright. I can’t get mad at you for it,” Jackson said snuggling into Reid, closser. “I think I’ve just feeling a bit needier than usual lately,” he admitted. Most relationships and sexual encounters never really meant much to Jackson, but sometimes he met a wonderful person such as Edmund or Catlin and he was gone. Susan had been love at first sight. The first time she greeted him, he knew he wasn’t going to let her go easily. This same feeling was re-surfacing again but this time, it was with Reid. He was getting too attached too quickly; he needed to watch himself. Edmund Reid was someone he never wished to get too attached to, because he knew how much it would hurt if he got abandoned by him. 

Reid smiled and kissed Jackson, feeling warm inside by the other’s touch. Tomorrow morning they would have to go back to their jobs and not be lovers. It was such an inconvenient time to start a relationship, solving a serial murder. This was their life, however, and they had to live it the way it was. The world was not perfect no time was perfect. Jackson was just glad he had someone to share it with.

Reid blushed lightly, pulling Jackson a bit closer. “I was wondering if you would consider it ridiculous if I sent you notes like the ones I used to give Christopher,” he said softly.

“Not at all,” Jackson answered. “I would have never guessed you a man who still wrote love poems, however.”

“I was a _boy_ who wrote,” he corrected with a light smile. “It was mostly about kissing and holding hands, but I believe now my writing may have matured with experience,” he said playfully.

“I will have wait and see what mature things you have to say in your letters then,” Jackson smiled, genuinely happy.

Reid laughed softly. “Well, that depends on how you are going to teach me,” he said as he kissed Jackson’s forehead, feeling more comfortable with him than he felt with his wife in the past two years and wondering how something like what they had together could be considered ‘gross indecency’ on the eyes of the law.

“Well I know you already have some things that you can write about, such as what happened not 10 minutes ago” Jackson said slyly.

“I do yes… thankfully, you are handsome enough to be an interesting subject,” he said as he caressed Jackson’s cheek.

“You flatter me, Inspector and don’t you ever stop it,” said Jackson letting Reid continue as he pleased.

“It’s not flattery if it’s true, Captain” he said as he continued to caress Jackson. “I am rather curious about something, though…” he muttered quietly.

“What is is, Ed?”

“What is the real story behind you and Susan? I know some of it but, truth be told, I have always wanted to know more…” he said, looking up at the ceiling. “It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me, though” he said, staring at the emptiness above them.

“No, I have nothing to hide from you. Should I start from the beginning or did you just want to know why we’re not speaking anymore?” Jackson said in a monotone voice.

Reid continued to stare at the ceiling. “I guess you could start from the beginning… it sounds like a very good story,” he said, turning to face Jackson.

“The beginning…” Jackson trailed off. “Well as you know, Susan’s father was a very rich and powerful man. He had hired me and Frank to take care and protect his dear daughter from his enemies and from the world. Turns out his dear daughter wasn’t as innocent as he thought; she had me completely under her spell. Eventually, we eloped and escaped to England under the names Homer Jackson and Hart Susan, she started up a brothel and then I met you.”

Reid smiled softly. “So she was the one who seduced you, then?” he said, his finger trailing lightly on Jackson’s chest. “How you old you were back then?”

“Well we both did a healthy amount of flirting with each other before any of us made a move. She did, in fact, make the first move, however. I was too afraid of getting fired for a girl like that. I really needed the money at the time. Her father knew everyone and all my potential employers and clients. Never did stop me from being a flirt, though.”

“When was this?”

“I think I was about 25 at the time.”

Reid smiled at him. “Well, she is the kind of woman who would not be afraid to make the first move,” he said. “And what about her?” he asked, pulling Jackson close to him.

“What do you mean?” Jackson asked ghosting his hands over various places on Reid’s body.

“How old she was when the two of you got together?” he asked as his lips gently brushed the curve of Jackson’s neck.

Jackson sighed and closed his eyes, feeling the sensation on his neck. “Susan is about 5 years younger than I am,” he answered, holding Reid against him.

“I must say your wife is a quite interesting woman,” he said as he continued to trail kisses over Jackson’s body. 

“One of a kind,” Jackson agreed, sitting back and enjoying Reid’s clever mouth.

“Is it a bad time to say I have had less than pure thoughts about her?” he said as he continued to use his mouth on Jackson’s body.

A chuckle reverberated through Jackson’s chest. “Really, Reid?”

“Well, she is a beautiful woman… and also an interesting one… besides, you have bragged quite a lot about the things she can do,” he said as he rand his fingers through Jackson’s hair.

“And tell me, what would you have my wife do to you if you had the chance?” Jackson asked, cupping Reid’s cheek.

“Are you really sure you want to know, Captain?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Tell me all your filthy fantasies,” Jackson said with a hint of a smile.

Reid chuckled before blushing. “Well, I would have her stripped down to her stockings before playing with her breasts for a while. I assume they must be small, right?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Small-ish but still fantastic,” Jackson said remembering how it felt to cup and tease his wife’s breasts.”Then what would you do?”

Reid looked at his hands. “Then I might feel between her legs… make her beg me for a proper fuck,” he said, suddenly noticing how arousing those mental images were.

“If she did beg for it, would you fuck her like she asked or are you more of a tease?” Jackson said, sliding one of his hands on Reid’s thigh.

Reid thought for a long moment. “I would tease her for a while… I really like a slower build up… then, when she is almost frustrated, I would have my way with her,” he said, feeling heat pool in his lower belly as Jackson’s hand rested on his thigh.

“Hmm. She would like that. It’s the most satisfying thing to push her to her limits like that sometimes. We both enjoy drawing it out on occasion even if it’s extremely difficult for us to hold back for that long. It is always worth it in the end. She begs and screams so loud for me to fuck her, Edmund. When I finally do it’s usually over for both of us quick.”

Reid gave him a small smile. “Well, I imagine it would be… but I… I would like to have her from the front and back, if she was willing,” he said, not quite sure about how Jackson would take that.

“My dear wife is quite the adventurous one in bed, like myself,” jackson teased, rubbing little circles on Reid’s thigh now.

With a faint blush on his cheeks, Reid decided not to fight back the slow build to a new erection Jackson was giving him. “What is the most adventurous thing the two of you ever done?” he asked curiously.

“Well, one time as soon as I came in the door, somebody shoved me against the wall, blindfolded me and gagged me then dragged me to bed. I knew it was her as soon as we got to the room; I also knew that it was her by her hands that tied my arms against the bedposts moments later. I think she was paying me back for what I did to her the night before but she ended up fucking me in the ass with God knows what. She ungagged me and had me begging. That was probably one of the more memorable adventurous experiences I have ever had,” Jackson finished.

Reid was now completely unable to hide his state of arousal. “That sounds quite interesting, Captain… she is a rather creative woman,” he said, getting quiet for a long moment. “I just wonder what you had done to her the night before to deserve such treatment.”

“I don’t even remember, to be quite honest with you; I just remember the punishment. I reckon I pushed her a bit too far for her liking and she wanted to do the same to me.”

“Has she ever used her mouth on you?” he asked shyly, the image of Long Susan on her knees pleasuring Jackson and making him slowly lose control forming on his mind.

“Of course,” Jackson replied, trailing his hand up Reid’s bare chest now.

“You were the one who taught her to do that?” he asked, smiling at Jackson as he touched his chest. “Please, don’t stop” he muttered.

“Dunno,” Jackson admitted, rubbing at Reid’s nipples. “I would assume so. The first time she did it I’m sure she didn’t actually know what she was doing until I helped her out.”

Reid let out a small moan. “It would be an amazing experience to have both of you at the same time,” he said as Jackson continued to caress his nipples. Reid never thought of them as being so sensitive.

“What would you do to the both of us if we let you have your way. What would you like us to do to for you?” Jackson asked, planting kisses on Reid’s hairy chest.

He thought for a long moment. “Well, so many things come to mind… I rather like the idea of both of us having her… and then you fucking me as she sucks my cock,” he said with a faint blush.

“I like the idea of that too,” Jackson admitted, visualizing the three of them in bed together.

“And what are you doing to me now, Captain?” he asked in a low voice.

“I’m making you aroused with talk of my wife and my fingertips my dear Eddy,” Jackson replied matter-of-factly. 

“You are succeeding,” he said with a deep moan. “Tell me more about you and your wife,” he asked.

“Early in our relationship we would have sex everywhere and any chance we got. Even in public a few times,” Jackson began. “I clearly remember a time we were in the back of a dark restaurant after not seeing each other for awhile and I slipped my fingers under her skirt. She got so mad at me after. Didn’t talk to me for a week. You should have seen her face when it was happening though.”

Reid let out a small laugh at that. “It must have been delightful,” he said as he moved to kiss Jackson again. “And what would you do if you had the two of us at your mercy, Captain?” he asked.

“I think I would start off by being extremely selfish and have the two of you fight over me. Then I’d try to get both of you to come at the same time with my hands and mouth. The one who holds out the longest gets my cock as a reward,” Jackson said kissing Reid back between words.

“That is rather cruel,” said Reid with a mocking pout. “But it sounds like fun,” he said as he laid back on the bed. 

“Hey, it’s my fantasy. I don’t think it’s going to ever come true but a man can always dream.” Jackson’s face was slightly flushed.


	11. Chapter 11

Reid smiled at Jackson’s flushed face. “You know, you look really cute when you blush like that.”

“I’m surprised you can tell with this lighting. I’m only blushing a little, anyway,” Jackson said, “But that’s twice today you’ve made me blush now. I better get a hold on myself from now on, shouldn’t I? I have a reputation to uphold.”

Reid smiled. “I am honored to be able to make you blush at all.”

“I've made you blush more in totality though,” Jackson teased, defending his honour.

“Sometimes I wish I had met you earlier,” Reid casually muttered, aside as he looked lovingly at Jackson’s face. “For moments like this.”

“I think you came into my life just when I needed you the most. In fact, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect,” Jackson said. “I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have you right now. But, yes, I do wonder how it would be if we started this sooner.”

“How do you imagine it?” asked Reid, planting small kisses on Jackson’s neck.

“Dunno,” Jackson said baring his neck to Reid, “do you think we would still be together under different circumstances, though? Would either of us have said or done anything to one another by now?”

“I don’t know,” said Reid as he gently caressed Jackson’s face. “I think I can clearly picture the two of us having a small cabin somewhere, growing old together,” he said playfully.

“And leave Whitechapel and our lives for ever? I can’t imagine you being able to stay away from coppering for long before it drove you mad.”

“I am sure you would keep me entertained enough so I wouldn’t even think of Whitechapel,” he said with a small smirk.

“Yes, I would keep you entertained so much that neither of us have to ever think about anything ever again if it were possible.”

“I imagine you would want a dog… I always wanted a few cats myself, though,” he said as he trailed a finger down Jackson’s chest.

“Yeah, a dog would be great. That’s such a domestic thing of you to say though, Edmund. I hope our cats and dog get along. It’s not in their nature,” Jackson remarked, taking in a deep relaxed breath. Laying in bed with Reid was extremely calming. He felt like the two of them right there could talk about anything for hours together.

“They wouldn’t…” said Reid. “Maybe we should even bring your pretty wife along to keep them in order. She might be nice as a cover up for two men living together as well,” he said as he kissed over one of Jackson’s nipples.

Jackson smiled at how Reid now was mirroring his own previous caresses now. “If you somehow could convince my wife to agree, I would be ready to leave at a moment's notice.” Jackson paused and thought, “Have you ever become aroused by thinking of me and my wife together? You seem to have a lot of thoughts including her today,” Jackson stated with a small amount of jealousy 

“Quite a few times, yes…” Reid somewhat reluctantly admitted. “The two of you are a very... attractive... couple and with a woman is on her line of work, I cannot help but wonder at times,” he said, hoping that his honest admission would not make Jackson upset.

A small chuckle escaped Jackson's mouth and a wild smile spread across his face. “That makes me happy for some strange reason. I don’t know why, but I love the image of you touching yourself, thinking about us. Did you hear us when we were fucking during your visits to the brothel. I would tell you to wait 5 minutes before I came to Leman Street with you on multiple occasions and you would have to stand outside the door while we fucked. Tell me, did you ever stroke yourself while you waited outside or did you exclusively allow yourself to think of these things only when you were in the privacy of your own home?”

Reid felt his face warm. “Sometimes when I came to Tenter street I would grasp myself...but mostly I self abused here at home afterwards,” he said shyly as he noticed how amused Jackson was at his confession. “There was also this time when I got there, and Susan came to talk to me looking… somewhat indecent before I called on you… I must say I saved that thought for later when I was in private. A few times that memory has been recalled to me.”

Jackson placed a kiss in Reid’s flushed cheek. “That confession of yours many change the way I look at you forever now,” he teased.

“Really?” said Reid, leaning against him, his heart fluttering at Jackson’s tender gesture. “I mean not to offend, should not I have admitted so? Forgive me, but it feels as if I’ve had a weight lifted.”

“I’m glad you told me. Next time we go check on little James and Susan, I’m going to watch you like a hawk. No doubt seeing my Catlin in the flesh for the first time after a conversation such as this is going to make you react in some way or another,” Jackson said with a smile. He then put his arm around Reid's, drawing him closer.

“Will I be punished for it?” Reid asked with a cheeky smile, blushing even deeper as Jackson pulled him closer. He truly enjoyed his American and his oftenly vulgar sense of humor. He made him feel young again.

“Do you want to be?” Jackson asked. “I can arrange that, easily.”

“What would you do to me if I do not behave?” Reid asked, his face still flushed. This could be interesting, he thought.

“Are you seriously considering this, Ed?” Jackson asked, breaking his playful tone.

“That depends… tell me what you have in mind, Captain,” said Reid, quite curious about what Jackson theoretically wanted to do to him.

Jackson stayed quiet, thinking for a quick moment, not answering. “Your choice,” Jackson uttered huskily, trying not to seem too surprised at what Reid had just said.

“I will make sure to stay in line then,” Reid said with a wink as he reached his hand between Jackson’s legs. 

“Is something bothering you, Captain?” he asked with a shy voice, as he stroked Jackson gently.

“Not at all, I’m doing quite fine, if you must know,” Jackson quipped. “More than fine. I’m filled with...vigor.”

Reid smiled. “Good. Because I do not intend on stopping this anytime soon,” he said as he stroked Jackson’s cock in a steady rhythm.

A breath of air flooded into Jackson’s lungs as he sat back and let Reid take care of him at his own pace. This was one of the first times that he didn’t have to initiate anything or ask for for something like this from Reid, so he was going to let the man do whatever he damn wanted to do to him.

Reid continued to caress him, a smile creeping up to his lips as he noticed Jackson’s reaction.

“Yes.” Jackson moaned out loud.

“Now… what should I do?” asked Reid as his grip on Jackson’s cock loosened a bit. 

Jackson wanted to ask Reid to use his mouth on him, but was unsure if it was still too soon. “This is fine, what you’re doing,” Jackson responded, grabbing Reid’s hand and tightening it around his own cock as they moved together for awhile.

Reid smiled. “I have another idea,” he said as he pressed a small kiss to Jackson’s navel. “You might have to guide me, though.”

A wave of affection and pleasure hit Jackson hard as the other man began to travel further down his body. “I’ll only guide you through it if you need it,” Jackson assured.

“I appreciate it… I want to make it good for you,” he said as he took hold of Jackson’s cock in his hand once again, his lips hesitantly ghosting over the head. Time went agonizingly slow as Jackson waited for Reid to work up enough courage. Reid gave Jackson’s cock a tentative lick before kissing it. He opened his mouth, slowly taking the erection in. Reid’s mouth was warm and felt good around Jackson’s cock. It was dark outside, but Jackson could still make out Reid’s rouged face and expression as he continued his efforts in earnest.

He tried to replicate what Jackson had done to him earlier, not really sure if he was doing it right. He reached for one of Jackson’s hands and placed it on his head.

Jackson’s fingers entwined themselves into Reid’s hair and helped guide Reid’s head into a comfortable rhythm. Reid looked up at Jackson for a moment, watching his face before he continued to pleasure his lover with his mouth, taking in a bit more of the length each time.  
“You sure you’ve never done this before?” Jackson remarked, trying to make Reid feel more confident about what he was doing. Reid was going to be a master at this shortly. 

Reid felt slightly proud at the American’s comment. He managed to almost take all of Jackson in, feeling his eyes water and his face grow red.

“Mmm, God, Edmund!” Jackson reverberated, “Mmmm!” He had to fight back the urge to thrust his hips forward and come then and there. Reid continued to work on Jackson’s cock, even though he was almost choking. He wanted to please him more than anything. “Yes. Don’t stop! Come on!” Jackson begged loudly as Reid continued to go down on him.

Reid used his tongue to stimulate Jackson’s length, feeling rather satisfied with his reaction. The hand in Reid’s hair gripped harder as Jackson continued to egg Reid on. He was almost at the point of choking on Jackson’s cock when he finally felt that Jackson was about to come. Reid froze for a moment, unsure of what he should do.

“I’m going to- You don’t need to- I’m-” Jackson struggled as he tried to push Reid’s head away in time, hoping Reid would get the hint.

He did not and Jackson was not fast enough to pull out, so Reid got a moutfull of come in his mouth. The taste was very unusual, he thought, but not quite as bad as he had believed it would be. 

“Shit. Sorry,” Jackson immediately apologized as soon as he was aware what had transpired.

Reid was slightly unsure about what to do but eventually decided to swallow Jackson’s seed. He then laid back besides the other man. “I hope I was adequate.”

“Why do you always say things like that?” 

Reid shrugged. 

“Are you really so insecure about your abilities? That was amazing, and you didn’t even need my guidance as you thought,” Jackson smiled.

Reid gave him a shy smile back. “Well, the lack of experience makes me doubt myself more,” he said, unsure if Jackson would welcome a kiss in that moment. He ended up deciding on kissing Jackson’s cheek.

“You needn’t worry, you’re a fast learner, as I said before; and in a few weeks you will never remember what it was like to not be experienced,” Jackson assured him, guiding his face so their lips could meet in a long, slow kiss in which he tasted a hint of himself leftover.

Reid kissed him back passionately. “I really appreciate your patience,” he whispered close to Jackson’s ear. “And… how enthusiastic you are about educating me properly,” he said as he caressed Jackson’s face.

“Well you’re quite the enthusiastic student yourself. You’re very willing to learn and that’s a turn-on itself for me,” Jackson replied seductively, running the pad of his thumb against Reid’s jaw in light circles.

Reid blushed. “Thank you… for all of this,” he said, later worrying that he had sounded rather pathetic.

“I should be the one thanking you. Your hospitality and friendship saved me from one of my lowest points in life. You provide me much needed comfort, every time I lay eyes on you now, I feel at ease.”

He let out a soft chuckle. “God, we are behaving like schoolboys again,” he said as he kissed Jackson’s cheek. 

“And what’s wrong with acting like schoolboys? Feeling like a schoolboy is great. I haven’t felt like this in years!”

“You are right… also, I rather enjoyed my school dalliances, it was a good time,” he said as he kissed Jackson’s lips again. 

“But nothing compared to me, right?” Jackson proudly grinned as he kissed Reid back with skill.

He laughed again. “No, nothing compared to you… ” he said as he pulled Jackson closer.


	12. Chapter 12

“For a long time, I thought I was abnormal,” Reid said softly.

“Oh, Edmund,” Jackson uttered softly between feather-light kisses. “There is nothing abnormal about two men being attracted to each other at all. It takes a brave man to admit what he really wants in life and an even braver one to pursue it. I’m glad that you were true to yourself and your feelings… and that I can share them with you.”

“I know… and, so you know, Captain Jackson… there are few things in the world I want more than you right now,” he said as he leaned into Jackson’s caresses.

“And what are those few things?” Jackson asked Reid as he grabbed a package of cigarettes and a lighter from his nightstand. He lit one up for then offered it to Reid.

Reid took the lit cigarette and waited for Jackson to ignite one for himself while he thought. “Well, you are involved in most of my true wishes… the two of us together...all we need for my to be completely happy is my daughter…”

“Mathildia...” Jackson muttered out loud as he took a long drag of his cigarette.

“I am rather sure she would like you,”Reid said with a small smile as he did the same with his cigarette. “She is a very curious child and she would certainly be interested in all your stories about America and being a doctor.”

A sad smile spread across Jackson lips as he heard Reid refer to his daughter in the present tense as if she were still alive. The man hadn’t lost hope, not even after all this time. What was worse was that Reid really seemed to smile with complete conviction whenever he talked about his daughter. She still was alive to him; he could see it right there in his smile. “Really? You think she’d like me?” Jackson finally spoke.

“Of course,” he said. “Mathilda is a really good judge of character,” he said as he stroked Jackson’s hand.

“A lot of things I’ve done in the past wouldn’t be considered, ‘good character,’” Jackson laughed, exhaling a breath of smoke.

“I care about who you are now,” Reid said as he pulled Jackson closer.

“We have all made mistakes,” Jackson stated, relaxing into Reid’s arms. “I still make them sometimes too.”

“Me too,” Reid nodded positioning his chin on top of Jackson’s head. “Thank you,” he said softly.

“For what?” Jackson raised his head to look into Reid’s eyes

“For showing me I can be loved again,” he whispered as he kissed the top of Jackson’s head.

“Just doing my best,” Jackson smirked lovingly.

Reid smiled at him. “Be careful, or I might fall in love with you,” Reid warned.

“You haven’t already? I’m surprised you have been able to resist this long.”

“I am trying to be subtle about it,” he said as he nuzzled Jackson. “How about you?”

“I don’t think I was so subtle’ about it a few minutes ago,” Jackson alluded. “I don’t think I can resist showing my affection around you sometimes. Have I mentioned how hard it is at work to ignore my urges for you? Because it is. Everytime you come in the deadroom, I want to keep you there with me until we’re both ‘satisfied’ enough to depart.”

 

Reid laughed at his comment. “Well, if it was possible, I would love it… but what I want to ask is, ‘Do you actually love me?’” he asked, giving Jackson a hopeful look.

“I-,” Jackson gulped, not expecting this topic to come up so soon. “I seriously think that I might, Edmund.”

Reid kissed him. “It’s fine… we both need some time to still be able to say it out loud,” he said as he caressed Jackson’s cheek. “I think I do, by the way,” he said, blushing slightly.

“Funny, we’ve both been through fist fights, knife fights, gunfights, among other hardships all throughout our lives yet we are both too cowardly to say three simple words.” Jackson took another long drag of his cigarette, letting the smoke dissipate through the air as he exhaled.

“Well, it’s more scary than a fight… at least for me. But we will get there eventually,” Reid whispered, putting out his cigarette.

“Yeah, You can even argue that being in love is a fight in itself. And we’ve always come out of fights alive. I know we can do this,” Jackson half-whispered back.

Reid smiled again. “You make me feel like I can do anything.” 

“Of course you can, you’re the great Edmund Reid of H Division. I haven't seen you back down from any challenge yet and i don’t expect you to. You don’t need me to make you do anything, you do it yourself. I've never doubted you for a moment.” Jackson planted a trail of reassuring pecks on Reid’s neck.

Reid leaned into the kisses, taking a long moment to reply. “I love you.”

Jackson paused kissing Reid and said, ever so quietly, “I love you too.” He then buried his face in the crook of Reid’s neck, embarrassed and empowered by his admission.

Reid played with Jackson’s hair. “I believe this matter is settled now,” he whispered. “You are my American, in every sense.”

“Mmhmm,” Jackson vocalized from his hiding place.

“We should sleep,” said Reid, nuzzling him again. “We can come in a bit later tomorrow but we still have to go to work.”

“Don’t remind me,” Jackson groaned. He then put out his cigarette in the ashtray by his bedside, then snuggled back into Reid’s arms.

“Sweet dreams,” Reid whispered to his lover.

“G’night.”


	13. Chapter 13

Reid woke up first on the next morning but did not move beyond checking the time on his watch. He stayed in bed watching the shirtless Jackson sleep, careful not to wake the other man next to him. They had both somewhat put on clothes during the night due to the cold temperatures of Whitechapel.

Jackson continued to slumber, breathing shallow and slow breaths. His face still content from the previous night’s activities.

After he could no longer bear not moving any longer, Reid smiled and gently kissed Jackson’s exposed neck. “Morning,” he whispered.

“Mornin’,” Jackson grumbled, still trying to fully wake up. “What time is it?”

“Seven,” Reid said, enjoying the warmth of Jackson’s arms. 

“And what time do we have to be at work?”

“Ten,” he whispered as he cuddled Jackson closer.

“Whatever shall we do for 3 hours?” Jackson smiled, kissing Reid softly.

“What do you have in mind, Captain?” he asked with a sly smirk.

“We can get dressed, go back to sleep?” Jackson teased.

“If that’s what you wish… but I always thought you were more creative than that,” Reid answered as he ran a finger down Jackson’s bare chest.

“Oh, but I am,” Jackson protested, grabbing Reid’s finger and bringing them to his lips.

Reid smiled at Jackson. “Well, what are we doing, besides sleeping, Captain?” he asked sheepishly

“I dunno. What do you feel like doing, inspector?” Jackson questioned, placing light kisses up Reid fingers and arm.

“I would be glad to accept a suggestion,” he said with a small smirk. “Your ideas have been excellent until now.”

“Until now? You’re saying that sleeping was a bad suggestion?! I actually thought it was a good one…can I make another suggestion then?” Jackson asked, climbing on top of the nearly nude Reid.

“Of course, Captain,” he said with a small smile as Jackson got on top of him

“Alright, I want you to tell me what to do to you. I’m at your disposal, Inspector,” Jackson said bending down to kiss Reid’s neck.

“You might continue with that,” said Reid, smiling at the kiss. “I have a rather sensitive neck, you know.”

“I’ve noticed,” Jackson smirked. He then started to suck and bite at a particularly sensitive spot that made Reid moan with pleasure as he pulled Reid’s remaining undergarments off his hips.

“Oh, God… Jackson,” he muttered as he groped at the other man. “I want to feel you.”

“Whatever you want, Edmund. All you have to do is ask. I want to make you feel so good.” Jackson continued to work at his neck.

Reid moaned softly, his hand reaching between Jackson’s legs. “I want it to be good for you.”

“It will be, as long as it’s with you. I promise we can go slow,” Jackson said, thrusting his clothed cock into Reid's available hand.

Reid smiled as he felt Jackson’s hardening dick. “Perfect,” he whispered. “I… I have an idea you might like.”

“What?”

Reid did not answer but instead pulled Jackson’s drawers off his body and spread his legs with wet fingers he that he had put in his mouth for lubricant and slowly reached behind Jackson’s balls, feeling for something in particular. “Is that alright?”

“Yes,” Jackson breathed and arched his back, allowing for more access to Reid and his touch. “Oh, Edmund.”

Reid gently pressed his finger against Jackson’s entrance, trying to breach his tight ring of resistance. “I read about it in one of those letters…”

“At least you- ah, at least you know to use some sort of lubricant from them,” Jackson groaned as Reid managed to slip his finger in slightly. “Might I suggest oil next time though.”

Reid gave him a concerned look. “Am I doing it right?” he asked, trying not to force his finger too roughly into Jackson.

“Yeah, ease in. What else did the letter tell you to do?” Jackson asked curiously while trying to manage his breathing.

“Apparently I am supposed to find a spot that will give you pleasure soon,” he said, feeling his face flushed as he continue to delicately work his finger inside Jackson, then rubbing around once he was in.

“Yeah, got to get a bit more in there though. Then curve your finger and, yes! That's it, Ed.”

Reid smiled, satisfied with himself about being able to do it right and trying to memorize what he was doing so he would be able to please Jackson in the same way again. He continued to move his finger to please his lover.

Jackson shifted on the bed so they were in a better angle and encouraged Reid to continue his actions with pleased grunts of approval. 

“Alright, I'm ready for you to add another finger if you’re game.”

Reid was slightly surprised at that. “Yes, if you are sure,” he whispered hotly on Jackson’s ear before slipping in another finger. 

“Alright?” he asked Jackson with a questioning look.

“Yeah, I'm fine. How are you? Think you can hold on until I'm ready for you?” Jackson joked, eying Reid’s erection.

“You want me to… now?” he asked, slightly alarmed about the prospect of fucking Jackson.

“If you can hold on one more minute,” Jackson panted. “Get some oil from the bedside and try one more finger, love.”

“You are sure?” he asked. Jackson already felt too tight and not wet enough enough around his fingers and he did not want to hurt the Captain in his actions. Quickly, he reached for the oil, spread it on his fingers, then slipped his fingers right back in. They went in a lot easier than they had before and it was a lot easier to move them to

“Yes, just stretch me a little bit more. That’s perfect! I don't know how much longer I can last. I want you to fuck me so hard that I'm going to be very sore at work today.”

Reid nodded and did the first thing Jackson asked, adding one more finger carefully. The look of pleasure on the man’s face made him even more aroused. He too was getting eager despite his nervousness.

Jackson steadied his breathing and tried to let his body relax to accommodate Reid’s fingers as best as he could. Reid felt so good inside him, he couldn't wait until he got to feel Reid’s cock. Jackson moaned at that thought as Reid continued to slowly pump his fingers in and out of him at an agonizingly gentle pace.

Reid smiled at Jackson as his other hand began to stroke Jackson’s cock. “How about it?” he asked, trying to move his fingers gently not to harm the captain.

“‘S good,” Jackson groaned.

Reid continued with his movements, feeling rather unsure about what to do next. 

“Almost ready.” Jackson said, reaching his hand down to stroke Reid.

Reid continued to stroke him. “This is...heavenly,” he whispered.

“It’ll be even better soon. I’m ready when you are,” Jackson said after some time. This was going to be a big step for them both. The first penateative experience.

“Are you sure now is a good time to go all the way?” asked Reid.

“I’m fine. I goddam want this but if you don’t want to, then….”

“I...I don’t think I am ready yet,” he said, feeling like he had let Jackson down. “I am so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Jackson said with a little annoyed sigh. It was very inconvenient, but he would respect Reid’s wishes. They were still at a very delicate stage of their relationship and he didn’t want to ruin it. “We can take our time with this. I’m sorry if I’m pushing you too hard. I just want you to be comfortable.” Jackson kissed Reid lovingly on the lips, stopping his other actions.

“I would not mind in using my mouth on you again, though,” Reid admitted with a slight smirk.

“I don’t think I would mind that either,” Jackson smirked back as he caressed Reid’s face.

Reid continued to move his fingers inside Jackson. “This was actually mentioned in the letter, by the way,” he said as he kissed down his chest.

“Oh.” Reid’s fingers hit a certain spot inside Jackson which caused him to gasp.

Reid smiled as he kissed the head of Jackson’s cock before licking over the length.

Jackson couldn’t believe that Reid could give him so much pleasure so often; it had only been a few days, but it felt like so much longer. He could never tire of the feeling of Reid’s body on his.

Reid took him on his mouth, trying to move his tongue the same way Jackson did to him on the previous night and looking up for the other’s approval.

“Mmmm. You’re doing fine,” Jackson reassured. He could see the doubt in Reid’s eyes as he nervously looked up at him.

Reid felt a bit more secure with the words and continued, using his fingers and his mouth on Jackson and watching for the other man’s reaction.

Despite the mishap that had happened earlier, Jackson was still very close to coming from all the previous and current stimulation. His breathing now came out came out in ragged pants.

Reid continued, determined to make Jackson come. He took his cock deeper with every thrust and continued to work his fingers vigorously on Jackson’s arse.

“Fuck, Edmund.” It took just a few more sucks from Reid for Jackson to spend himself in Reid’s mouth without warning. His orgasam took him by suprise.

Reid spat and got up and laid besides Jackson, wiping his mouth as he did so. “That was lovely,” he coughed, whispering. “Still getting used to the taste.”

"Let's take care of you now," Jackson grinned.

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally an RP between the wonderful Breezing and myself. It is the first of a few!!  
> Recently, I had the time to edit it and wanted to share it on here since there aren't many long 'Jackmund' fics avaliable.  
> Enjoy?
> 
>  
> 
> **UPDATE: I was wondering if any of y'all would like me to post another one of the RP's. We have a Modern AU and a Rancher AU. If anybody's interested, please comment below! We would love hearing from you!**
> 
>  
> 
> UPDATE 2: We're almost done posting what we wrote, folks.
> 
> UPDATE 3: We have one half-finished chapter left to post, and frankly, i'm unsure if I should even bother posting it. It's just a PWP chapter.   
> Got in touch with my co-author and we will try to attempt to wrap this fic up. No promises. Chapter 13 may be the last one.


End file.
